Effect of a Period of Table Tennis Matches on the Mental Well-Being of High-School Boy Students

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of participation in table tennis matches on boy students’ mental well-being of Behbahan high schools in Iran. Participants were 40 boys aged between 15 and 17 years, out which 20 were recruited among table tennis players with school memberships (empirical group=EG) and 20 were those not interested in any physical activity (sedentary group=SG), who were randomly selected as multi-branches. The EG, after five sessions, 1.30 hours a day for identifying the rules, regulations and teaching, participated in friendly periodic matches, during 8 weeks, as a 2-day competition and 1 day for solving their probable problems. Goldberg and Hillier's 28-item scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), as a pre-test and a post-test, was administered to the EG and SG simultaneously; however, the SG did not participate in any physical activity. The results showed that participation in table tennis matches had a positive effect on mental well-being (p=0.02). The results of the GHQ-28 in the EG, before starting the period of matches, was significantly different from those in the SG. In conclusion, we can direct both students with problems in mental well-being and even those without any problems to participate in table tennis matches for gaining a better mental condition.