Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica 2020, Vol. XXIX, N°1, 1234-1239
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.177 1234
I
NFLUENCE OF
P
HYSICAL
E
XERCISE ON
M
ENTAL
H
EALTH AND
P
OSITIVE
E
MOTIONS OF
C
OLLEGE
S
TUDENTS
Chongle Zhao*, Ziqi Wang
Abstract
The mental health of college students has a great influence on their management of interpersonal relationship and adaptability to new environment. This paper attempts to reveal the influence of physical exercise on the mental health of college students. First, a dual-factor model of mental health was established, including both positive and negative factors of mental health. Next, a survey was conducted on the sports items that college students are engaged in daily physical exercise. Using the quartile method, the students were classified into a mentally healthy group, and three groups of different degrees of poor mental health. Only some subjects in the last three groups received exercise training interventions. Through the comparative analysis on the results, it is concluded that most students have positive emotions after exercise intervention; physical exercise has a significant positive effect on psychological emotions. The research findings shed new light on preventing psychological problems and improving positive emotions of college students.
Key words: Physical Exercise, Mental Health, Positive Emotion, Dual-Factor Model. Received: 04-04-19 | Accepted: 05-09-19
INTRODUCTION
With the accelerated pace of modern life and the increase of work pressures, the number of people suffering from certain psychological disorders has been increasing (Kimber, Sandell, & Bremberg, 2008). It has become a hot issue of great concern on how to better alleviate psychological disorders and improve mental health. Physical exercise plays an important role in promoting physical and mental health. Thus, it has been gradually accepted as the basic way people live or behave (Catalino & Fredrickson, 2011).
Different scholars have different understandings of mental health (Layous, Chancellor, & Lyubomirsky, 2014). For instance, Strus and Cieciuch defined mental health as a good state of mind; people in good mental state
The Physical Education Department of Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.
E-Mail: [email protected]
can adapt well to different environments and make full use of their potential (Strus & Cieciuch, 2017). At the International Mental Health Conference, “Mental health” has also been defined as: Individuals can maintain themselves in a good intellectual, physical and emotional state, and also develop their emotions to the best state, which allows them to lead an extremely efficient life (Tugade, Fredrickson, & Barrett, 2005).
Various data indicate that the psychological problems of college students are still serious (Stenseng, Forest, & Curran, 2015), and especially with the increase in the number of students as only one-child children in China, the mental health problem has been more highlighted (Kraut, Pitcock, Calhoun et al., 2006). The main problems affecting the mental health of college students are their inability to alleviate the pressure and the resulting negative emotions. This kind of psychological negative emotion will greatly inhibit their communication ability and learning efficiency, reduce their interest in life, and even worse, lead to social function
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impairment and even the suicide (De Geus, Van Doornen, & Orlebeke, 1993; Ferguson, Swann, Liddle et al., 2018). Thus, it’s of great significance for the mental health of college students to make a reasonable evaluation of their mental health level and propose a targeted strategy (Vertommen, Kampen, Veldhoven et al., 2007).
Based on the above, this paper attempts to study the mental health indicators of college students, and explore whether physical exercise can have a positive impact on college students' mental health. This shall provide a new theoretical reference for further improving college students' mental health and emotional control.
DUAL-FACTOR MODEL OF MENTAL HEALTH
At present, despite the increasing attention to mental health, the psychological problems are still increasing, so that the traditional function of mental health evaluation are gradually being questioned. Scholars Yage and Kirsch proposed in 2007 and 2015 respectively that the absence of mental illness could not effectively define a person's mental health, which is only a necessary but not sufficient mental health standard (Yager, Waitzkin, Parker et al., 2007; Kirsch, Domakonda, Doerfler et al., 2015).
Therefore, based on positive psychology, relevant scholars gradually introduce positive indicators such as subjective happiness into the mental health evaluation system, in order to more comprehensively explain and reflect the individual's mental health. In this context, the
dual-factor model of mental health came into being.
The dual-factor model of mental health includes positive and negative factors of mental health. Positive factor corresponds to the three dimensions of subjective happiness scale: emotional happiness, psychological happiness and social happiness; negative factors correspond to three other dimensions: somatic symptoms, anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms, as shown in the figure 1.
Figure 1
.
Dual-factor model of mental health
RESULTS ANALYSIS
Current situation of college students' physical exercise
A survey was conducted on the sports items that college students are engaged in daily physical exercise. The results are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Participation and Chi-square test of college students' physical exercises
Male (500) Female (650) Sig.
Number Percent Number Percent
Run 307 61.40% 415 63.85% 0.234
Table Tennis 110 22.00% 109 21.80% 0.372
Badminton 162 32.40% 266 53.20% 0.013
Tennis 24 4.80% 42 8.40% 0.169
Volleyball 15 3.00% 18 3.60% 0.959
Football 72 14.40% 5 1.00% 0.000
Swimming 67 13.40% 57 11.40% 0.028
Basketball 214 42.80% 37 7.40% 0.000
Dance 9 1.80% 98 19.60% 0.000
Skills and Attacks 5 1.00% 3 0.60% 0.121
Body building 38 7.60% 33 6.60% 0.105
Aerobics 6 1.20% 115 23.00% 0.000
Swordplay 5 1.00% 5 1.00% 0.815
Rope skipping 6 1.20% 59 11.80% 0.000
Bicycle 80 16.00% 67 13.40% 0.018
Other 63 12.60% 91 18.20% 0.400
Mental health
Positive factors
Emotional happiness Psychological
happiness Social happiness
E1 E2 E3
Negative factors
Somatic symptoms Anxiety symptoms Depressive symptoms
E4 E5 E6
INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND POSITIVE EMOTIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS 1236
From Table 1, gender factor has an impact on the choice of physical exercise items, which lies in not only physiological effects, but also the result of a combination of psychological and social environments.
Figure 2
.
Proportion of exercise behaviours
at difference stages
According to classification standards of the exercise stages, the students' exercise behaviour was classified into four stages: the pre-intentional stage (irregular exercise, unplanned exercise), the intentional stage (irregular exercise, planned exercise), and the action stage (regular exercise, but less than half a year) and persistence stage (persistent physical exercise for more than half a year); the proportion of
students in each stage was also listed, as shown in Figure 2.
Further, the motivation of college students' physical exercise was analysed, as shown in Table 2.
It can be seen from Table 2 that on the one hand, college students pay more attention to their external image; on the other hand, they can have recreational relaxation, emotional release and stress relief through physical exercise. In addition, the motivation of physical exercise can promote the occurrence of sports behaviour because of their positive causal relationship, that is, the more motivation for college students, the more their exercise frequency and time they exercise, and the greater the intensity of exercise.
Analysis for the current situation of mental health
The survey results of college students' mental health show that the average scores of happiness in each dimension ranked from high to low: positive psychological function, interpersonal satisfaction and positive emotion, while the average scores of negative emotions from high to low were somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression, as shown in Table 3.
Table 2.
Relationship between physical exercise motivation and exercise Behaviour of College
Students
Average score Hours/times Next/Week Exercise intensity
Health Motivation 12.802±1.941 0.158** 0.121** 0.179**
Appearance motivation 10.912±2.527 0.092** 0.137** 0.126**
Fun Motivation 10.849±2.301 0.315** 0.259** 0.233**
Skill motivation 8.852±2.193 0.263** 0.218** 0.312**
Social motivation 8.391±1.949 0.159** 0.062* 0.169**
Table 3. Mental health statistics and differences comparison among college students
Index Overall average score N Male Female P
A sense of happiness 3.39±0.62 1150 3.41±0.59 3.52±0.56 0.029
Positive emotions 3.38±0.64 1150 3.31±0.58 3.44±0.68 0.018
Positive psychological function 3.49±0.74 1150 3.52±0.49 3.38±0.68 0.013
Interpersonal Satisfaction 3.51±0.62 1150 3.37±0.61 3.51±0.69 0.008
Negative emotions 1.95±0.39 1150 1.94±0.43 2.12±0.41 0.012
Somatic symptoms 2.17±0.43 1150 2.12±0.45 2.21±0.45 0.117
Anxiety and worry 1.95±0.49 1150 1.86±0.49 2.04±0.52 0.025
Depressed 1.79±0.61 1150 1.73±0.49 1.95±0.61 0.019
Table 4. Classification of mental healthy groups
Classification Completely Healthy Susceptible Symptomatic but Satisfied Completely ill
Percent 46% 25% 11% 18%
Pre-Intentional Stage, 25%
Intentional stage, 45% Action phase,
14% Stage of persistence,
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According to the related research, the total scores of most students were between 50-60 on the happiness scale, and the average score of the subjects was above 55, indicating a higher subjective happiness, while that below 55 indicated a lower subjective happiness [64]. The optimal threshold for the health questionnaire was 3/4. The average score of the subjects above 3 points represents a high mental health status; otherwise, it indicates a low state of mental illness. Using the quartile method, the subjects were divided into four groups according to the average scores of college students' happiness and negative emotions, as shown in Table 4.
Intervention effect of physical exercise on mental health of different college student groups
Comparison of mental health indicators before and after exercise intervention in the group of students susceptible to negative emotions
The comparative study was conducted on the
mental health of the experimental group and the control group susceptible to negative emotions before and after the exercise training intervention. The results are shown in Table 5.
The results showed that the mental health level of people who insisted on physical exercise was significantly higher than that of non-exercise students, especially reflected in the changes of happiness and negative psychological state, indicating that physical exercises have a positive impact on the development of mental health and positive emotions.
Comparison of mental health indicators before and after physical exercise intervention in the group of students with certain negative symptoms
The comparison results of the mental health indicators before and after the exercise training intervention in the experimental group and the control group with certain psychological and negative symptoms are shown in Table 6.
Table 5. Comparison of mental health indicators before and after physical exercise intervention in
the group susceptible to negative emotions
Mental health structure and dimensions
Experience group
T P
Control group
T P
Before after Before after
(n=15) (n=15) (n=15) (n=15)
A sense of happiness 3.19±0.50 3.45±0.36 4.56** 0.003 3.17±0.49 3.12±0.45 2.07 0.071
Positive emotions 3.14±0.62 3.39±0.48 3.63** 0.006 3.03±0.52 2.94±0.46 1.32 0.231
Positive psychological function 3.23±0.64 3.42±0.43 2.96* 0.013 3.15±0.58 3.06±0.49 1.66 0.141
Interpersonal satisfaction 3.28±0.49 3.49±0.35 2.87* 0.016 3.43±0.64 3.32±0.54 2.17 0.065
Negative emotions 1.98±0.53 1.86±0.34 -1.93 0.084 2.14±0.36 2.25±0.36 -2.68* 0.032
Somatic symptoms 2.24±0.52 2.07±0.36 -2.25* 0.046 2.34±0.39 2.39±0.48 -1.81 0.108
Anxiety and worry 1.79±0.61 1.81±0.39 -1.49 0.167 2.03±0.45 2.18±0.49 -1.67 0.132
Depressed 1.89±0.65 1.79±0.43 -1.07 0.305 1.97±0.47 2.15±0.48 -1.62 0.143
Table 6. Comparison of mental health indicators before and after physical exercise intervention in
the group of students with certain negative symptoms
Mental health structure and dimensions
Experience group
T P
Control group
T P
Before after Before after
(n=15) (n=15) (n=15) (n=15)
A sense of happiness 4.08±0.12 4.06±0.17 -0.56 0.612 4.14±0.15 4.17±0.13 -1.04 0.327
Positive emotions 3.95±0.38 4.02±0.38 -1.17 0.271 4.17±0.39 4.25±0.27 -1.16 0.281
Positive psychological function 3.96±0.32 3.99±0.26 -0.39 0.732 3.89±0.36 3.96±0.26 -0.96 0.396
Interpersonal satisfaction 4.31±0.26 4.25±0.19 0.37 0.754 4.32±0.38 4.27±0.23 0.38 0.728
Negative emotions 3.18±0.08 2.59±0.18 11.21** 0 3.16±0.14 2.96±0.08 3.79** 0.006
Somatic symptoms 3.25±0.27 2.58±0.34 8.08** 0 3.15±0.28 3.03±0.18 1.87 0.098
Anxiety and worry 3.09±0.25 2.57±0.29 9.03** 0 3.33±0.36 2.96±0.29 2.25 0.054
INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND POSITIVE EMOTIONS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS 1238
Table 7.
Comparison of mental health indicators before and after exercise intervention in the
group of students with completely mental illness
Mental health structure and dimensions
Experience group
T P
Control group
T P
Before after Before after
(n=15) (n=15) (n=15) (n=15)
A sense of happiness 3.19±0.50 3.45±0.36 4.56** 0.003 3.17±0.49 3.12±0.45 2.07 0.071
Positive emotions 3.14±0.62 3.39±0.48 3.63** 0.006 3.03±0.52 2.94±0.46 1.32 0.231
Positive psychological function 3.23±0.64 3.42±0.43 2.96* 0.013 3.15±0.58 3.06±0.49 1.66 0.141
Interpersonal satisfaction 3.28±0.49 3.49±0.35 2.87* 0.016 3.43±0.64 3.32±0.54 2.17 0.065
Negative emotions 1.98±0.53 1.86±0.34 -1.93 0.084 2.14±0.36 2.25±0.36 -2.68* 0.032
Somatic symptoms 2.24±0.52 2.07±0.36 -2.25* 0.046 2.34±0.39 2.39±0.48 -1.81 0.108
Anxiety and worry 1.79±0.61 1.81±0.39 -1.49 0.167 2.03±0.45 2.18±0.49 -1.67 0.132
Depressed 1.89±0.65 1.79±0.43 -1.07 0.305 1.97±0.47 2.15±0.48 -1.62 0.143
Figure 3
.
Comparison of mental health indicators between experimental group and control
group before and after physical exercise intervention
Table 6 showed that the negative psychological state of subjects with certain negative symptoms but active participation in physical exercise was better than the control group without physical exercise. This group had a high positive and negative psychological state. The exercise intervention had little effect on their positive psychology, because their mental health level is not low, and there is relatively limited space for the development of positive psychology.
Comparison of mental health indicators before and after exercise intervention in the group of students with completely mental illness
The comparison results of mental health of completely mentally ill students before and after
physical intervention are shown in Table 7. Table 7 indicated that in terms of both happiness and negative emotions, physical exercise has a significant impact on the mental health of a completely ill student.
Complete morbidity is a syndrome associated with low psychological well-being. It has certain psychological barriers such as anxiety and depression, lack of self-confidence, and even hostility or dissatisfaction. According to Romero and other scholars (Romero, Munir, & Runnels, 2015), long-term exercise can effectively reduce negative emotions. Compared to other forms of relaxation or distraction, personal associations and others brain activity in sports training classes can effectively promote the awakening, concentration or transfer of thinking. Also,
Som atizati
on
Obsess ive-com
pulsi ve
Inter person
al
Depr essed
Anxious Hosti le
TerrorParanoi a
Psychoti c
Total 0
2 4 6 8
Pre-experiment control group Pre-experiment group
After-experiment control group After-experiment group
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during this process, the individual can constantly feel the eyes, expressions, communication, care, support and affirmation from teammates or friends, which has a good adjustment effect on self-perception.
Before and after the physical exercise intervention, the scores of the mental health indicators in the control group and the experimental group are shown in Figure 3.
The intervention experiments of physical exercises in three different mental health groups showed that the mental health of the persons taking regular exercises is generally better than those without long-term regular exercise. Sports can not only improve the physical fitness of exercisers, but also effectively regulate mental health. Thus, it has the important value of promoting the “mind and body”.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the current situation of college students' mental health and physical exercise, this paper proposes to alleviate the negative emotions of college students through physical exercises. The conclusions have been drawn as follows:
The mental health dual-factor model that introduces subjective happiness is more scientific and reasonable, so it’s suitable for the evaluation of college students' mental health;
The college students of different genders had different tendencies to selecting the sports items; the current situation of college students' physical exercise is not satisfactory, and there was a small number of students with regular physical exercises; the motivation of exercises is positively correlated with the exercise frequency, time and intensity;
The mental health status of sports exercisers is better than those with no regular exercises; the intervention of physical exercises significantly improved the psychological well-being of college students and reduces negative emotions.
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