Being physically active and fit as a teenager reduces the risk of suicidal behavior as an adult, according to researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Teenage behavior has long been the subject of scientific research. A study by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has found that being physically active and fit as a teenager reduces the likelihood of showing suicidal behaviors as an adult.
Teenagers and young adults in Sweden have the worst mental health compared to individuals of similar age groups in other countries in the west, states a report by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare on child and adolescent health. Another new social welfare study reports that the number of serious suicide attempts among individuals between 19 and 23 years of age increased from 115 per year in 1995 to 460 per year in 2010 in Sweden. The total number of suicide attempts in the age group 10 to 45 also increased during that period.
The objective of this study was to determine factors that can prevent mental illness and the risk of suicidal behavior. Researchers looked at 340,000 Swedish men to analyze the link between exercising as a young person and a reduced risk of suicidal behavior later in life.
"Being in poor physical shape at 18 years of age, measured as the test results on an exercise bike during their medical exam for compulsory military service, can be linked to a risk of suicidal behavior as an adult that is 1.8 times greater," says Margda Waern, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg in a press statement.
The researchers emphasize that while depression is a strong indicator of suicidal behavior later in life, for teenagers several other factors also come into play.
"One theory is that the brain becomes more resistant to different types of stress if you are physically active," says Maria Åberg, co-author of the study.
Previous studies have shown that physical activities have a great positive impact on the brain as they create more nerve cells. Researchers have been able to establish that good physical fitness as a teenager can also be linked to decreased risk of severe depression later in life.
