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African Journal of Biomedical Research
By Izabela Ozga-Żak, Karolina Julia Łuczak, Magdalena Anna Łuczak-Tabaka and 7 others.
Physical education (PE) provides adolescents with opportunities for physical activity, social interaction, and psychosocial development. However, the mental health implications of partial or complete exemption from PE remain poorly understood.
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This narrative review aimed to critically synthesize current knowledge on the potential implications of PE exemption for adolescent mental health, particularly depressive and anxiety symptoms, and to explore whether PE exemption may represent a marker of vulnerability.
PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for English-language studies published mainly from 2015 onward addressing physical activity, school-based PE, PE exemption, adolescent mental health, depression, anxiety, and relevant psychosocial outcomes. Earlier landmark publications were included when essential.
Direct evidence examining PE exemption in relation to depressive and anxiety symptoms is scarce. Indirect evidence identifies plausible pathways, including reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, diminished school connectedness, and lower self-esteem and perceived competence. Exemption may also result from pre-existing physical, psychological, or social difficulties, indicating a potentially bidirectional relationship. PE exemption may therefore reflect broader vulnerability rather than constitute an independent risk factor for poor mental health.
Current evidence is insufficient to establish a causal relationship between PE exemption and depressive or anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, PE exemption may represent an underrecognised marker of vulnerability deserving greater educational and research attention. Longitudinal and intervention-based studies are needed to clarify temporal relationships, underlying mechanisms, and support strategies.
Published in African Journal of Biomedical Research. The abstract is shown as published and remains the work of its authors; read the full article at the source.
africanjournalofbiomedicalresearch.com/index.php/AJBR/article/view/10061
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