The childhood hobby that leads to lower stress, fewer mental health problems and better brain function as adults

It may be time to take this old-school pastime off the shelf.A growing body of research suggests that a once-beloved childhood hobby, now increasingly falling by the wayside, is linked to better mental health, sharper cognitive skills and even differences in brain structure later in life.“It’s something we ought to be encouraging from an early age given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it’s never too late to start,” Professor Barbara Sahakian, a Cambridge University neuroscientist who studies the hobby, said in a press release.In one analysis, Sahakian and her colleagues looked at data from more than 100,000 young people in the US who were part of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study, which tracks children from ages 9 or 10 into early adulthood.The researchers divided the participants into two groups: Those who started reading for pleasure between the ages of 2 and 9, and those who picked up the habit later — or never at all.Nearly half (48%) had little experience reading for pleasure or didn’t start until later in childhood.The others had spent between three and 10 years reading for enjoyment.

The team examined clinical interviews, cognitive tests, mental and behavioral assessments and brain scans of each of the young people.After accounting for factors such as socioeconomic status, they found a strong association between early recreational reading and better cognitive abilities during adolescence.The early readers scored higher on tests measuring verbal learning, memory and speech development.

They also tended to do better academically at school.But the bibliophiles weren’t just booksmart.The young readers also had better mental well-being, with fewer signs of stress and depression, along with sharper attention and fewer behavioral problems, including aggression and rule-breaking.There was another perk: less screen time.Kids who developed a love for books earlier tended to spend less ti...