‘Peer play ability’ in young children linked to better mental health in later life

New research from the University of Cambridge (UK), has found that children who play with others at pre-school age are less likely to suffer from poor mental health as they get older. This study, published in Child Psychiatry & Human Development, provides the first evidence that the capacity to play successfully with other children –coined ‘peer play ability’– has a positive effect on current and future mental health. Researchers enrolled nearly 1700 children from the ‘Growing Up in Australia’ Study, which tracked the development of Australian children born between March 2003–February 2004, and collected data from the children at ages...