Temporal Associations Between Sport Participation, Dropout from Sports, and Mental Health Indicators: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Participation in organized sports may have a positive effect on mental health, but documentation is based on methodological limitations. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dropout from organized youth sport on change in mental health and subjective well-being. A total of 1046 young persons (13-18 years old), all participating in organized sport at baseline, were included. Data on mental health and subjective well-being were collected at baseline and again after two years. Participants who were into organized sports and participants who reported other types of informal movement activity two years later reported less increase in negative affect over time compared to participants who had dropped out of sports and did not get involved in other types of movement activity. For positive affect, there was a credible difference in change between those who dropped out of organized sport but did not get involved in an alternative physical activity and those who were still active in organized sports. The results indicate that dropout from traditional youth sports might have a negative influence on well-being, but involvement in other types of informal and negotiable movement contexts might buffer the potential negative effects.