[The Importance of Physical Activity for Mental Health]

[The Effect of Exercise Therapy on Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review with Practical Example]

The Effect of Exercise Therapy on Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review with Practical Example Abstract: The mental health of children and adolescents in Germany is currently highly burdened. Because of the psychotherapeutic care situation, easily accessible, less stigmatizing, and efficient offers are urgently needed. Exercise therapy would be one possibility. However, the effectiveness of such offers must first be proven. We conducted a systematic review concerning the effectiveness of exercise therapy on the mental health of children and adolescents which included studies since 2020 (subsequent to Hale et al., 2021). We analyzed a total of 17 intervention studies based on the PRISMA statement. The results show that exercise therapy interventions significantly affect certain populations: Attention and cognitive skills significantly improved in children and adolescents with ADHD; for depression, we found positive effects for affection. Some studies revealed significant effects across populations on the quality of life and sleep. In children and adolescents with autism or learning disabilities, we found positive effects on social behavior. Thus, according to the literature, exercise therapy is a recommendable therapy option for children and adolescents with mental health problems. As an illustration, we present a boulder intervention as a combined exercise intervention and psychotherapy along with its feasibility as a possible practical example.

Psychosocial aspects of sports medicine in pediatric athletes: Current concepts in the 21st century

Behavioral aspects of organized sports activity for pediatric athletes are considered in a world consumed with winning at all costs. In the first part of this treatise, we deal with a number of themes faced by our children in their sports play. These concepts include the lure of sports, sports attrition, the mental health of pediatric athletes (i.e., effects of stress, anxiety, depression, suicide in athletes, ADHD and stimulants, coping with injuries, drug use, and eating disorders), violence in sports (i.e., concepts of the abused athlete including sexual abuse), dealing with supervisors (i.e., coaches, parents), peers, the talented athlete, early sports specialization and sports clubs. In the second part of this discussion, we cover ergolytic agents consumed by young athletes in attempts to win at all costs. Sports doping agents covered include anabolic steroids (anabolic-androgenic steroids or AAS), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrostenedione (DHEA), human growth hormone (hGH; also its human recombinant homologue: rhGH), clenbuterol, creatine, gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), amphetamines, caffeine and ephedrine. Also considered are blood doping that includes erythropoietin (EPO) and concepts of gene doping. In the last section of this discussion, we look at disabled pediatric athletes that include such concepts as athletes with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), myelomeningocele, cerebral palsy, wheelchair athletes, and amputee athletes; also covered are pediatric athletes with visual impairment, deafness, and those with intellectual disability including Down syndrome. In addition, concepts of autonomic dysreflexia, boosting and atlantoaxial instability are emphasized. We conclude that clinicians and society should protect our precious pediatric athletes who face many challenges in their involvement with organized sports in a world obsessed with winning. There is much we can do to help our young athletes find benefit from sports play while avoiding or blunting negative consequences of organized sport activities.