The study is said to be the first to establish a link between “peer play ability” before children go to school and improved mental health at the age of seven. Researchers say the quality – rather than the quantity – of the game matters. The findings prompted appeals to children at risk of poor mental health to have priority access to high-quality playgrounds run by specialists in the early years to help protect against future mental health problems. The researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,700 children in an Australian long-term study taken at the age of three and seven and found that those with better play ability than their peers when they were younger showed fewer signs of poor mental health four years later. Parents, teachers and caregivers reported lower levels of hyperactivity, fewer behavioral problems and emotional problems among children who learned to play with their preschoolers and had fewer quarrels or disagreements with other children. According to researchers, the protective link between peer play and mental health remains even for those children who are at particular risk for mental health problems or those with additional risk factors such as poverty and maternal discomfort. One of the authors, Dr. Jenny Gibson of the Cambridge School of Education, said: “We believe this connection exists because by playing with others, children acquire the skills to build strong friendships as they grow up and start school. “Even if they are at risk of poor mental health, these friendship networks will often succeed.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST Vicky Yiran Zhao, PhD student and lead author of the study, said: “What matters is the quality – rather than the quantity – of peer play. “Games with peers that encourage children to collaborate, for example, or activities that promote sharing, will have positive effects.” Helen Dodd, a professor of child psychology at the University of Exeter and a specialist in play and child mental health, said the research showed how vital play was with other children in laying the foundations for good mental health. He said: “It is important to have research that demonstrates this link between gambling and mental health to ensure that gambling is taken seriously in education and politics in general. “It’s very important at the moment, given that children’s play with their peers was so limited during the Covid-19 lockdown.”
