Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40691823›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

The mediating role of psychological inflexibility in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms among college students.

Xiumin Dou, Erkang Cai, Yiting Liu, Tianle Chen, Teck Cheng Tan, Qian Gu, Tao Huang

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Xiumin DouDepartment of Physical Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. douxm@sjtu.edu.cn.
Erkang CaiDepartment of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China.
Yiting LiuDepartment of Physical Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Tianle ChenDepartment of Physical Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Teck Cheng TanSchool of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Qian GuSchool of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Tao HuangDepartment of Physical Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDepressive symptoms are prevalent mental health issues among college students. Physical activity has been recognized as a potential protective factor. However, the mechanisms through which physical activity alleviates depressive symptoms remain unclear. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the associations between physical activity, psychological flexibility, psychological inflexibility, and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students. The mediating roles of psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility on these associations were also examined.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 1205 college students from four universities in Shanghai, China. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) were used to assess physical activity and depressive symptoms, respectively. Psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility were measured using the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory Short Form (MPFI-24). PROCESS macro models were used to analyze the mediating effects of psychological flexibility and psychological inflexibility on the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms.

resultsThe results showed a significant negative correlation between physical activity and depressive symptoms (r = -0.15, p < 0.01). Psychological inflexibility played a partial mediation role in the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms (indirect effect: -0.24, 95% CI: -0.48 ~ -0.01). However, psychological flexibility did not mediate the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms.

conclusionsThe study suggested that psychological inflexibility partially mediated the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms among college students. Interventions targeting physical activity and psychological inflexibility may be effective strategies for lowering depressive symptoms in this population.

Indexed as

DepressionExerciseStudentsAdolescentAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultCollege studentsDepressive symptomsMental healthPhysical activityPsychological flexibility

Identifiers

PMID40691823
PMCPMC12278660

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.