Playing organized sports decreases depression in boys, but not girls (Video) by Taylor Bennett | Jun 19, 2019 | Children, Teens, & Adolescents, Gender, Mental Health Topics Playing sports might protect boys from depression. A study from the journal Biological Psychiatry examined how exercise might impact the development of depression in children. It analyzed over 4,000 kids ages 9 to 11 and saw that sports participation was linked to fewer depression symptoms specifically in boys. Researchers found…