Physical Education and psychological strengths in adolescent

Introduction: Adolescence was one of the life stages in which most psychological challenges emerge. This study highlighted the importance of Physical Education (PE) in developing adolescents’ psychological strengths, a critical component of their well-being and holistic development. Objective: The main objective was to analyze how PE participation, together with gender and age, influenced adolescents’ psychological dimensions. Methodology: The sample comprised 561 adolescents (53.1% boys and 46.9% girls), who were divided into two groups according to their participation or non-participation in PE. The VIA-Youth scale was used to assess six strength dimension: courage, transcendence, ascendancy, justice and humanity, temperance, and knowledge. Results: Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations among all dimensions, the highest between justice and humanity and temperance (r = 0.605, p < .001). Adolescents who participated in PE scored significantly higher in courage, transcendence, and justice and humanity (p < .05). Furthermore, girls outperformed boys in courage, knowledge, and justice and humanity. No significant age-related differences were observed. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the positive impact of PE on the development of skills such as resilience, empathy, and self-confidence, supporting its inclusion as a key component of the school curriculum to enhance adolescents’ psychological well-being and socio-emotional competences.