Adventurous childhood play may buffer against anxiety and depression: study
Fox News
A new study confirms what many parents already teach their kids – playing outside may be beneficial for their health, especially after COVID-19 restrictions.
"This is really positive because play is free, instinctive and rewarding for children, available to everyone, and doesn’t require special skills. We now urgently need to invest in and protect natural spaces, well-designed parks and adventure playgrounds, to support the mental health of our children."
The researchers conducted two studies. One Northern Ireland study in a sample of 427 parents, which they broadened into a second larger "nationally representative" sample of 1919 parents living in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) to investigate if the larger study would confirm the first study’s findings.