In the mood

Get your skate on!

If a friend told you she was taking up skateboarding, you might think she was heading for a midlife crisis. But new research has found that this traditionally teenage hobby can reduce depression and give fans a sense of meaning, whatever their age.

Dr Paul O’Connor, from the University of Exeter, interviewed boarders who took up or returned to the hobby as adults, and found that participating in the pastime had increased their happiness, given them connection to a community, and offered them an identity separate to other parts of their life. Many enthusiasts started