Higher daily step counts linked to fewer mental-health problems in early adolescence
Researchers from King's College London and the University of Massachusetts Amherst analyzed pedometer data from 5,515 children (ages ~11–12) in the U.S. Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, tracking their daily steps for three weeks and assessing mental health about a year later. This observational cohort study found that higher step counts were associated with fewer reported anxiety, depression, attention, and behavior problems, plus slightly greater cortical thickness in two brain regions (the paracentral and rostral anterior cingulate). Because the study is observational, it cannot prove that walking more causes better mental health.
Source: MedicalXpress (study in JAMA Network Open) — https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-higher-daily-linked-mental-health.html
Digital coloring may ease student stress as effectively as pencils and paper
University of Southampton researchers led by Dr. Emma Palmer-Cooper assigned nearly 300 university students to at least six mindful-coloring sessions over two weeks — half used traditional colored pencils and paper, half used digital coloring apps. Both groups reported significant improvements in stress, mindfulness, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, with the biggest gains in students who started out with worse well-being. The digital format was equally effective, suggesting some forms of screen time can support mental well-being.
Source: MedicalXpress (study in the Journal of Mental Health) — https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-digital-ease-student-stress-effectively.html
Burnout, amotivation, and competitive anxiety cluster into risk profiles that predict teen sport dropout
A study of 864 competitive adolescent athletes (mean age 14.6) in Jiangsu Province, China, used latent profile analysis to identify three psychological risk profiles based on athlete burnout, amotivation, and competitive anxiety. Over a 12-month follow-up, dropout rates rose from 8.6% in the low-risk profile to 19.4% in the moderate-risk profile to 35.3% in the high-risk profile; athletes who dropped out were nearly 4 times more likely to belong to the high-risk than the low-risk profile.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology (original research article) — https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1972994/full