Child Development
Playing outside 'reduces ADHD symptoms' in young children
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who play outside have milder symptoms than those who play indoors or in built-up areas, finds a new study.
Playing outside in green spaces helps to minimise ADHD symptoms, researchers say
American researchers from the University of Illinois in Chicago surveyed parents of 400 children aged five and above with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) about where their child normally plays everyday and their overall symptoms.
Their findings revealed that children who regularly played in areas with big trees and open grass had milder symptoms than those who played in built outdoor environments or indoors.
In particular they found that children with ADHD benefitted most from playing in areas of open grass, with parents reporting that they had the mildest symptoms, whereas the children with ADD had fewer symptoms if they regularly played in areas of open grass or big trees and grass.
In contrast, children with both ADD and ADHD, who played outside in built-up areas or indoors in rooms without windows, had more severe symptoms.
The researchers found no significant differences between boys and girls in terms of the relationship between the greenness of play settings and overall symptom severity.
Andrea Faber Taylor, one of the authors of the study, said, ‘These findings reinforce and extend previous findings that time in green space may mitigate children’s ADHD symptoms
‘The evidence lends itself to the possibility that children with ADHD may find regular doses of green space to be a valuable supplement to medication and behavioural treatments.’
She added, ‘Administering doses of green space by spending time in natural settings daily or weekly is relatively easy, inexpensive, and readily accessible for most families.’
Further information
The study, ‘Could Exposure to Everyday Green Spaces Help Treat ADHD? Evidence from Children’s Play Settings’, is published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
