Science: Want to Improve Your Mental Health? Root for a Better Team

Sports fandom is basically free therapy — unless you’re a Carolina Panthers fan.Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University studied more than 7,000 adults and found that people who watch sports, whether at the stadium or on TV, report higher life satisfaction, feel less lonely and show fewer symptoms of depression than those who don’t.The science points to “social identity theory.” Humans are wired to form “in-groups,” and when we root for a team together, we build community. That commun