Adolescent Playfulness and Well-Being

In their research paper, Adolescent Playfulness and Well-Being, authors Marianne Staempfli and Roger C. Mannell, of the University of Waterloo, discuss what may be key discoveries about the nature of all three: adolescence, playfuness, and well-being.

"...playful adolescents experience high mental and physical health. Less playful adolescents appear to experience problems with their peers and with issues related to self. When faced with daily playful teens engage in a combination of coping strategies depending on the problems at hand. Playfulness appears to function as a positive mediator rather than an antagonistic force in the experience of stress and coping. No gender and age differences were observed

"...Findings from this study are particularly relevant to the field of practice in suggesting the importance of promoting play and playfulness as an asset to positive adolescent development and well-being. The findings imply that playfulness functions as a type of dispositional resiliency during adolescence due to its stress-moderating properties particularly during leisure. Also, playfulness has the capacity to alleviate boredom, release tension and prevent aggression, and to promote group membership and civic engagement, which may enhance positive experiences at school, at home or during leisure."