Abstract
Due to its suddenness and unpredictability, COVID-19 caused strife and effects on public mental health, resulting in a surge of negative emotions. The study explores the relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions in home-based college students during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the mediating role of resilience, thus providing a new basis for understanding the role of physical exercise in improving negative emotions in college students; A total of 1214 college students were investigated with the Physical Exercise Questionnaire, Negative Emotion Scale and Resilience Scale; Both physical exercise and resilience were significantly negatively correlated with negative emotions in college students (r = − 0.25, − 0.33, P < 0.001), and there was a significant positive correlation between physical exercise and resilience (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). Physical exercise had a direct effect on the negative emotions of college students (β = − 0.14, P < 0.001). Resilience had a partial mediating effect between physical exercise and the negative emotions of the college students, with a mediating effect value of 0.14 and a mediating effect contribution rate of 50.00%; The study found that physical exercise not only directly affected the negative emotions of college students but also improved their resilience by slowing down their negative emotions and promoting their mental health.
Highlights
Due to its suddenness and unpredictability, COVID-19 caused strife and effects on public mental health, resulting in a surge of negative emotions
The normal fit index (NFI), comparative fit index (CFI), non-normed fit index (NNFI), and adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) were important indices; we considered a model with values greater than 0.90 to be a good one
The results revealed that physical exercise was negatively associated with negative emotions (r = − 0.25, P < 0.001), and positively correlated with resilience (r = 0.47, P < 0.001)
Summary
Due to its suddenness and unpredictability, COVID-19 caused strife and effects on public mental health, resulting in a surge of negative emotions. Recent studies have largely described the positive role exerted by physical exercise to counteract prevalent anxiety and depression in self-isolated people during the COVID-19 e pidemic[29,30,31] They reported that leisure-time physical activity is more closely associated with positive mental health. Prolonged stays at home can reduce physical exercise levels, which leads to a significant, negative impact on mental health and well-being[32,33] Based on these scientific evidences, regular physical exercise is a key strategy for relieving anxiety and depression in college students, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic. Physical exercise could alleviate anxiety and depression by improving the level of resilience among college students during the COVID-19 epidemic Based on these evidences, resilience could be an internal mechanism that plays a mediating role in the relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions. This research enriches the literature on sports psychology, and provides new ways of thinking about prevention and intervention relative to anxiety and depression among college students
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