ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025
The dual impact of physical exercise on university students' mental health: the chain mediating effects of mindfulness and psychological resilience.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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17 citing papers in PubMed.
- Changes in dietary habits and mental well-being among university students following an educational intervention: pilot study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Relieving or Aggravating? The Longitudinal Moderating Role of Challenge and Hindrance Academic Stressors on the Relationship Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Context-Specific Anxiety Symptoms Among University Faculty.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of physical activity on job burnout in college administrative teachers with chain mediation of psychological resilience and disengagement.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Guarding serenity in the digital age: mindfulness as a buffer against social media-induced psychological discomfort in older tourists.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Physical exercise and psychological resilience in the link between adverse childhood experiences and non-suicidal self-injury: chain mediation and network analysis in college students.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- The impact of nursing interns' intolerance of uncertainty on professional identity: the mediating role of career resilience.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Differential associations of exercise intensity, duration, and frequency with smartphone addiction: the mediating roles of mindfulness and anxiety.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Can middle school students counteract academic burnout through physical exercise? A cross-sectional study from China.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- A healthier day, a healthier mind: linking 24-h movement behavior guideline adherence to mental health in university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The relationship between Tai Chi practice, Psychological Resilience, and depression in older adults: an integrated study of mediation and network analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Exercise and Adolescent Flourishing: A Gender-Specific Chain Mediation Model Involving Mindfulness and Rumination.Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Article
- The impact of sports participation on subjective wellbeing among Chinese young adults: exploring the chain mediation effect of perceived social support and psychological resilience.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- How does rest intolerance affect physical exercise? A dual-pathway mediation model of exercise adherence and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Does physical exercise inhibit smoking behavior? Evidence from the China General Social Survey.Frontiers in public health · 2025Observational
- Exploring the mediating role of meaning in life and psychological resilience in the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality among Chinese secondary school students.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Vigorous physical activity is associated with mental well-being: indirect associations via resilience and physical self-esteem in university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- A test of the mediating effects of social interaction, physical fitness, and alleviation of negative emotions in the influence of physical exercise on residents' subjective wellbeing-empirical analysis based on CGSS 2023.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
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Abstract
Introduction: Mental health issues among university students are increasingly prominent, and effective interventions are urgently needed. Physical exercise has shown potential in improving mental health, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Dual - Factor Model of Mental Health, this study aims to explore the dual impact of physical exercise on university students' mental health and the chain - mediating effects of mindfulness and psychological resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 720 students from Chinese universities. Validated instruments were used to measure physical exercise, mindfulness, resilience, and mental health outcomes. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.3 were employed for data analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and mediation effect testing. Results: The findings show that physical exercise is a proactive resource investment behavior. It significantly enhances students' mindfulness and resilience. These psychological resources promote positive mental health indicators such as life satisfaction and positive affect, and at the same time, reduce negative factors like psychological distress. The chain mediation analysis indicates that mindfulness and resilience act as interconnected resources, which is in line with the "gain spiral" and "resource caravan" effects in the COR theory. Discussion: This study provides novel insights by demonstrating how mindfulness and resilience sequentially amplify the psychological benefits of physical exercise. It offers a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms behind the improvement of university students' mental health. The results have significant theoretical and practical implications, advocating for the integration of exercise, mindfulness, and resilience-building strategies in mental health interventions for university populations.
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