The Impact of Typical School Provision of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sports on Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports, which is reflective of the school’s response to the national curriculum, available resources and school ethos, may impact adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Systematic literature reviews have not yet considered this impact. The Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, ERIC and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature (2000–2022) pertaining to adolescents aged 12–18 years in secondary schools. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, including thirteen interventions, five cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Included studies contributed 108 reported effects, that examined depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy, wellbeing, life satisfaction and positive mental health. Anxiety was the most frequently reported outcome, with 59% of the reported findings found to be non-significant, 24% significantly positive, 12% significantly negative and 6% reporting a negative trend but with no test of significance. Evidence supported the impact of physical education on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Significantly positive effects were linked to interventions with minor modifications to typical provision such as the integration of teacher workshops and/or implementation of curriculum models. This suggests the importance of supplementing typical school provision of physical education to positively influence future impact.