290 - Finding Balance: Extracurricular Activities and Emotional Wellbeing in Adolescents

Publication Number: 3279.290

Carey Wagoner, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Karen Pletta, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Qianqian Zhao, University of Wisconsin at Madison, ANN ARBOR, MI, United States

Background: There have been many identified benefits of teens participating in extracurricular activities such as better school engagement, academic performance, and lower stress. However, few studies characterize the relationship between mental health (anxiety and depression) and the number of activities students participate in per week.

Objective: To understand if the number of activities per week influences symptoms of depression or anxiety in high schoolers.

Design/Methods: The Dane County Youth Assessment was a cross-sectional survey distributed to students in Dane County high schools in 2024.A secondary analysis of measures including depression with Patient Health Questionnaire 2 (PHQ-2), anxiety, categorized as mild, moderate, severe, with General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and number of extracurricular activities participated in per week. Demographic data including age, gender, and race were also obtained. Methods of analysis included binomial logistic regression for depression and cumulative logistic regression for anxiety.

Results: A total of 15448 students participated in the survey; participants were 49% male and 66% white. The average activities per week was 2.09 (SD 1.43). Positive PHQ-2 was reported by 15.65% of students. Mild or no anxiety was reported by 51.31% of students with 20.08% and 13.72% reported moderate and severe anxiety respectively. Compared with no activities, students who participated in 1-5 activities per week had lower rates of depression, but no significant difference was seen with 6 activities(p < 0.0001 , Table 1) . Similarly, students who participated in 1-5 activities had less severe anxiety than those who did no activities, but 6 activities was not significantly different than no activities (P < .0001, Table 2).

Conclusion(s): This study indicates that participation in extracurricular activities correlates with lower rates of depression and severe anxiety when done at moderate levels (1-5/week) compare with no activities, but the benefit disappeared when participating in more than 5. A number of factors may contribute to this including busier schedule leading to loss of sleep, less time at home, or getting behind on classes. Future research can focus on specific type of activities that may be protective for these mental health conditions.

Table 1: Activity and demographics associated with Depression


Table 2: Activities and demographics associated with Severity of Anxiety