Blue health among children, adolescents, and youth psychological well-being: a systematic review of swimming and aquatic therapy for mental health

TL;DR

This review explores how swimming and aquatic therapy can improve mental health in children and adolescents by reducing anxiety and depression.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive framework for understanding aquatic therapy as a preventive and rehabilitative tool for adolescent mental health.

Findings

Aquatic therapy shows potential in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Swimming enhances cognitive flexibility and emotional well-being through physiological and psychosocial mechanisms.

The review identifies gaps in research on methodological rigor and neuropsychological effects of aquatic interventions.

Abstract

The transition from childhood to youth constitutes a pivotal developmental epoch marked by profound physiological, cognitive, and socio-emotional transformations. This period, while dynamic and formative, also ushers in heightened susceptibility to psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders.

Within this context, aquatic therapy and swimming have emerged as promising yet underexplored modalities, offering multifaceted benefits that extend beyond traditional exercise paradigms.

Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence, this review synthesises current empirical and theoretical insights into the efficacy of swimming and aquatic-based interventions for enhancing adolescents’ mental health. By integrating physiological, neurobiological, and psychosocial perspectives, this review elucidates the mechanisms through which aquatic participation mitigates anxiety and depressive symptomatology while strengthening cognitive flexibility, affective balance, and overall well-being.

The synthesis further highlights prevailing gaps in the extant literature, particularly regarding methodological rigor, intervention duration, and the neuropsychological underpinnings of aquatic engagement.

In addressing these lacunae, the review advances a substantial framework for understanding water-based physical activity as both a preventive and rehabilitative instrument within adolescent mental healthcare. Ultimately, this work contributes to the evolving discourse on blue health, positioning swimming and aquatic therapy as potent, evidence-informed avenues for cultivating emotional resilience, self-regulation, and flourishing during adolescence.

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