Hippocampus is the part of the brain that is essential for memory and response to stress. The volume of hippocampal, one of the formations in hippocampus, is strongly associated with depression; people with lower level of hippocampal volume are more likely to suffer depression. Exercise helps adults keep the volume of hippocampal high, and therefore, reduces the risk of depression. Washington University in St. Louis conducted a study on a sample of 4,191 children aged 9–11, and demonstrated the correlation between children taking part in structured team sports and the level of hippocampal volume. The study showed that sport, but not other activities (like music or art), contributed to a higher hippocampal volume in these children, regardless of their gender. However, the link with reduced depression was only found among boys, suggesting that the causes of depression among girls may differ, or that the effect of team sports will become visible later in their life.

‘The fact that these relationships were strongest for team or structured sports suggests that there might be something about the combination of exercise and the social support or structure that comes from being on a team that can be useful at preventing or treating depression in young people. The findings raise intriguing possibilities for new work on preventing and treating depression in children,’ said Lisa Gorham, lead author of the study.

According to the source, it is important to mention that these results are correlational, not causational; two possibilities can be true – either that sport contributes to reducing the risk of depression, or that depressed children are less likely to engage in sport, for example.

Click on the link below to access the full article.

 

Childhub

You might like..

0
3
According to international studies, nearly 40 percent of children experience some form of maltreatment defined as abuse and neglect of children, including all types of physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence, or other forms…
yes
0
58
Old folk saying is that “The bludgeon came out of the heaven”, and it is easy to answer why is that so; if it stayed there, it would not be heaven anymore. Many adults today, from their own experiences, family opinions, values and beliefs, support…
0
6
Kupakwashe Desmond Mukurumbira, Board Member of UNICEF, has written a piece on key relationships in safeguarding in sports. It outlines seven key relationships which safeguarding in sport experts should understand, manage and develop for successful…
0
40
Many children returning to school face bullying and may suffer from anxiety, depression, feelings of shame, and other severe problems. Bullying can have immediate and long-lasting consequences on a young person’s mental health. Bullying comes in…
0
9
Erin Burke Quinlan, of King's College London in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a study on the effects of bulling and found out that it can cause physical changes in the brain and increase the chance of mental illness. This study…
0
103
New research carried out at Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory may indicate that a mother experiencing high amounts of stress during pregnancy may have developmental consequences for her baby. By studying prenatal cortisol (stress hormone) levels in…
0
2600
If people do understand child development and how it can be derailed by abuse or other adverse childhood experiences, they quickly see how the work done by services that support families can help and get a child back on track. Professionals who know…
0
3
Children face violence and abuse everyday; every fourth girl in Jamaica and every fifth girl in Europe has been a victim of sexual harassment. Unfortunately, sport is one of the most common areas where violence against and abuse of children…
0
137
This infographic, which can be viewed as a PDF attachment, displays the physical damage as a result of violence on a child's brain.  The infographic can be viewed online with this link or downloaded as a 2 page PDF attachment.
0
35
Child predators have taken on an increasing online presence, and as a result, law enforcement officials and child rights professionals are becoming more involved in preventing and dealing with crimes against children. According to Lynn Davis, chief…
0
3
A new technology is being developed to prevent exploitation of children by gangs in UK. This is a result of a more than successful pilot done by Children and Family Court Advisory Service (CAFCASS) in which they worked with social workers to achieve…
0
35
When thinking about how refugee people choose their destination country, European policy makers rarely draw conclusions informed by the discussion with refugee people. Instead, they made their assumptions which based on a survey among refugee people…
0
865
While the world stays at home, what happens to children who live or work on the streets? Street-connected children:     Can’t 'stay home and stay safe' if they have no home and shelters are closed     Can’t access…
0
6
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by what you are currently hearing and reading about the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). It is understandable if your children are anxious. Children may find it difficult to understand what they see on the internet or…
0
21
Ted Talks had featured Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank, who had addressed an imperative question. How do we know development and aid funds are successfully delivered to the impoverished and the needy? The talk highlighted three imperative…