Citation

Hu S, Li X, Yang L. Front. Neurosci. 2023; 17: e1234409.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fnins.2023.1234409

PMID

37700748

PMCID

PMC10493323

Abstract

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental illnesses affecting children and adolescents, significantly harming their well-being. Research has shown that regular physical activity can promote cognitive, emotional, fundamental movement skills, and motor coordination, as a preventative measure for depression while reducing the suicide rate. However, little is known about the potential role of physical activity in adolescent depression and anxiety. The studies reviewed in this paper suggest that exercise can be an effective adjunctive treatment to improve depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, although research on its neurobiological effects remains limited.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; physical activity; depression; anxiety; HPA axis; neurobiological markers