title: The relationship of sport in childhood and adolescence to mental and social health.
abstract: This article examines sport in childhood and adolescence in relation to mental and social health. On the basis of various investigations, the extent to which sport can have a preventive effect in regard to the development of so-called problem behaviour (criminality, alcohol abuse, drug abuse etc.) is discussed. The article then outlines positive and negative psychosocial effects of sport on the child and adolescent in general, independent of whether problem behaviour develops or not.
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D013177:Sports