From Track to Transformation: How Physical Activity Builds Adolescent Belonging

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O’Neal, T., DiPietro, L., & Price, O. A. (2025). Physical activity, mentorship, and mental health in adolescents living in Washington, DC: Teens Run DC. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2025-0276

Introduction

Adolescent mental health challenges have reached crisis levels, with rising rates of depression and disconnection. This has disproportionately been the case for adolescent girls and youth of color. O’Neal and Price (2025) examined whether combining physical activity and mentorship could improve youth mental health through Teens Run DC (TRDC), a Positive Youth Development program serving high school students in under-resourced Washington DC neighborhoods.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study included 291 students across 10 low-resource public high schools throughout the Washington DC area between 2010 and 2018. Participants joined a structured running and mentoring program which consisted of twice-weekly runs and weekend practices. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression in Children scale, and social connectedness using the Hemingway Social Connectedness Scale. Mixed-effects regression models tested the relationship between program “dose” and outcomes.

Results

Students who participated for at least two years showed a 6-point reduction in depressive symptoms and 69% lower odds of clinical depression compared to peers not in the program. They also scored eight points higher in social connectedness this was found to be particularly the among female and Hispanic participants.

Discussion

Findings highlight the additive power of physical activity and sustained mentorship to enhance youth emotional well-being and belonging. These findings are especially relevant and important for social and educational programs that work with at-risk youth.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentorship integrated with consistent physical activity offers a scalable model for fostering resilience and connection. Programs should aim for multi-year engagement to achieve the strongest benefits.

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