Summary: Rising rates of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents may be linked to a long-term decline in opportunities for unsupervised play, exploration, and independent activity—experiences that build resilience, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.
Source: FAU
Anxiety and depression among school-aged children and teenagers in the United States have reached historic highs. In 2021, child and adolescent mental health was formally identified as a national emergency.
While multiple factors contribute to this crisis, a new synthesis by three leading child development researchers highlights the steady erosion of independent childhood activity—what many call unsupervised or self-directed play—as a central, underappreciated cause.
Published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the review argues that over several decades children’s opportunities to roam, play without adult direction, and take on age-appropriate responsibilities have steadily declined. This loss of independence, the authors contend, has weakened children’s emotional resources and contributed to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior.
Well-meaning efforts by parents, educators, and policymakers to protect children and boost academic outcomes have often reduced their chances to practice autonomy. According to the authors, children need increasing opportunities for self-directed activity and meaningful roles in family and community life as they grow—both as signals that they are trusted and as essential experiences for developing coping skills.
“Parents today receive frequent warnings about potential risks to unsupervised children and strong messages about academic success,” said David F. Bjorklund, Ph.D., co-author and professor of psychology at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “Far less attention is paid to the fact that children need growing independence—opportunities to play freely, contribute, and solve problems on their own—to become well-adjusted adults.”
The review also documents a decline in “risky play”—activities that involve manageable risk, such as climbing, exploring, or navigating physical challenges. Such play helps children learn their limits, manage fear, and build confidence. By safely confronting uncertainty and risk, children reduce the likelihood of developing phobias and gain practical experience in handling emergencies.
Several systemic trends have reduced independent activity time. School days and academic expectations have lengthened, and homework now reaches into younger grades. Between 1950 and 2010, the average U.S. school year expanded, and tasks once uncommon in early elementary grades are now routine. Recess time has also fallen: by 2014, the average elementary student had less than half an hour of daily recess, and some schools offered none.
“Play is a primary source of childhood joy and an essential context for learning social and emotional skills,” Bjorklund said. The researchers argue that less play means fewer opportunities for children to practice problem-solving, peer negotiation, creativity, and self-regulation—skills that protect mental health.
Beyond lost playtime, heightened academic pressure itself creates stress. Fear of failure and constant performance demands can directly undermine wellbeing, especially when balanced against dwindling chances for unstructured activity and rest.
Unlike sudden public health crises, the decline in independent activity has unfolded slowly over decades, making it less obvious. “This isn’t a contagious disease,” Bjorklund noted. “It’s the unintended result of protective instincts and a cultural emphasis on more schooling and oversight, taken to extremes.”
The study’s authors—Peter Gray, Ph.D., lead author and research professor in the Department of Psychology at Boston College; David F. Lancy, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Utah State University; and David F. Bjorklund—summarize evidence showing parallel declines in children’s independent activity and mental wellbeing, explain how self-directed activities foster happiness and resilience, and outline the long-term psychological benefits of greater autonomy in childhood.
The article emphasizes that concern for safety and adult guidance are important, but they should be balanced with a clear commitment to increasing children’s age-appropriate autonomy. As children mature, adults should intentionally expand opportunities for independent activity—both in schools and in communities—to support emotional development and reduce mental health risks.
The authors offer practical recommendations for parents, pediatricians, family physicians, educators, and policymakers to restore safe, supervised pathways to independence: protecting and restoring recess and free play at school, encouraging unstructured outdoor time, permitting managed risk in play, and creating family roles and community responsibilities that let children contribute meaningfully.
About this neurodevelopment and mental health research news
Author: Gisele Galoustian
Source: FAU
Contact: Gisele Galoustian – FAU
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Closed access.
“Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Wellbeing: Summary of the Evidence” by David F. Bjorklund et al., Journal of Pediatrics
Abstract
Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Wellbeing: Summary of the Evidence
Rates of anxiety and depression among school-aged children and teens in the United States are at an all-time high. In response, leading pediatric and child psychiatry organizations declared child and adolescent mental health a national emergency in 2021. This review synthesizes decades of evidence connecting reduced opportunities for independent activity—self-directed play, unstructured social interaction, and responsibility—to declines in young people’s mental wellbeing and psychological resilience.