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Are Team Sports Effective in Improving Mental Health? A Systematic Review on the Primary Outcomes of Anxiety and Mood
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Marcelo Couto Jorge Rodrigues1
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José Carlos Pontes Corrêa1
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Matias Noll4
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Filipe Manuel Clemente5 , 6
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Mário Hebling Campos1
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Vicente Aprigliano7
Sérgio Machado3 , 8 , 9
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Carlos Alexandre Vieira1
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Gustavo De Conti Teixeira Costa1
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Authors Info & Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction
Team Sports (TSG) have been discussed as an accessible and socially engaging way to support mental health. Although this idea is intuitively appealing and supported by several observational findings, the actual consistency of their effects on anxiety and mood in adults who do not have diagnosed mental disorders remains uncertain.
The study aims to map how TSG has been investigated in this context and to systematically synthesize current evidence on their effects on anxiety and mood (PROSPERO: CRD420251121611).
Methods
This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 recommendations. Five databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Eligible studies included longitudinal, face-to-face TSG interventions involving adults or older adults and reporting validated psychometric outcomes. Randomized trials were assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool and the PEDro scale, whereas non-randomized studies were evaluated using ROBINS-I.
Results
Six studies involving 744 participants met the inclusion criteria. The included interventions involved soccer/football, floorball, volleyball/soccer programs, small-sided soccer games, and recreational TSG. Two studies reported reductions in anxiety symptoms, while one randomized trial showed reduced mood disturbance when small-sided games were combined with verbal encouragement. One trial found no significant changes in generalized anxiety, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, or well-being. Another randomized trial showed that recreational TSG improved mental-health-related quality of life compared with control.
Discussion
Evidence suggests that TSG may promote improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, in non-clinical adult populations, the value of TSG may lie less in producing large reductions in psychiatric symptoms and more in improving psychosocial functioning, perceived well-being, and social connection.
Conclusion
Current evidence suggests that TSG may improve selected mental-health and psychosocial outcomes in adults, including anxiety symptoms, mood disturbance, emotional well-being, and mental-health-related quality of life. However, these effects were inconsistent among studies and were strongly influenced by intervention context.
