The relationship between low-intensity exercise and psychological distress among college students

Research status and trends of physical activity on depression or anxiety: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental disorders. As modern society continues to face mounting pressures, the incidence of anxiety and depression is on the rise. In recent years, there has been an increasing breadth of research exploring the relationship between anxiety, depression, and physical activity (PA). However, the current research progress and future development trends are unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the research hotspots and development trends in this field, and to provide guidance for future studies and to provide some reference for clinicians.

Methods

We searched the relevant literature of Web of Science Core Collection from the establishment of the database to August 15, 2023. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix Packages based on the R language were used to analyze the number of publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords.

Results

A total of 1,591 studies were included in the analysis, and the research in the field of PA on anxiety or depression has consistently expanded. The USA (304 publications), Harvard University (93 publications), and the journal of affective disorders (97 publications) were the countries, institutions, and journals that published the highest number of articles, respectively. According to the keywords, students and pregnant women, adult neurogenesis, and Tai Chi were the groups of concern, physiological and pathological mechanisms, and the type of PA of interest, respectively.

Conclusion

The study of PA on anxiety or depression is experiencing ongoing expansion. Clinicians can consider advising patients to take mind-body exercise to improve mood. In addition, future researchers can explore the mind-body exercise and its impact on anxiety or depression, PA and anxiety or depression in specific populations, and adult neurogenesis of various exercise in anxiety or depression.

Research trends of exercise therapy of college students in depression from 2002 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Depression is a serious psychological disorder that college students are experiencing. College students' depression problems, which can be caused by various factors, have been easily ignored and untreated. In recent years, exercise, as a low-cost and easily accessible method for treating depression, has attracted widespread attention. The purpose of this study is to use bibliometrics to explore the hotspots and trends in the field of exercise therapy of college students in depression from 2002 to 2022.

Methods

We retrieved relevant literature from the Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, and Scopus databases, and generated a ranking table to describe the core productivity in the field. We used VOSViewer software to generate network maps of authors, countries, co-cited journals, and co-occurring keywords to help us better understand the scientific collaboration patterns, potential disciplinary foundations, as well as research hotspots and trends in this field.

Results

From 2002 to 2022, a total of 1,397 articles related to exercise therapy of college students in depression were selected. The key findings of this study are as follows: (1) the number of publications has gradually increased, especially after 2019; (2) United States and its affiliated higher education institutions have made significant contributions to the development of this field; (3) there are multiple research groups in this field, but their connections are relatively limited; (4) the field is relatively interdisciplinary, primarily a convergence of behavioral science, public health, and psychology; (5) based on co-occurring keyword analysis, six main themes were summarized: health-promoting factors, body image, negative behaviors, increased stress, depression coping strategies, and diet.

Conclusion

Our study illustrates the research hotspots and trends for the research of exercise therapy of college students in depression, presents some challenges and new insights, and provides valuable information for further research.

Psychological Impact of the 2022 Round COVID-19 Pandemic on China's College Students

In response to the new round of COVID-19 outbreaks since March 2022, universities with high outbreak rates around the country have taken quarantine measures to contain the epidemic. Evidence from previous coronavirus outbreaks has shown that people under quarantine are at risk for mental health disorders. To better understand the impacts of this round of COVID-19 quarantine on domestic college students and their responses, we conducted a systematic survey to assess the stress and anxiety, and to evaluate effective measurements in this population. We searched relevant documents and literature, and designed a questionnaire from six aspects, including psychological status, epidemic situation, study, daily life, sports, and interpersonal communication, with 51 items in total. We sent the questionnaire on the Wenjuanxing Web platform, from April 2 to 8, 2022. We evaluated the mental status according to parts of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and investigated the influencing risk factors and countermeasures. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Chi-square test and multi-variable logistic regression. In total, 508 college respondents were recruited in our survey, and the pooled prevalence of mild anxiety (GAD score ≽ 5, or DASS-21 anxiety score ≽ 8) or stress (DASS-21 pressure score ≽ 14) caused by the new round of COVID-19 pandemic quarantine was 19.69% (100/508). The prevalence of the anxiety or stress in college students with COVID-19 quarantine between different genders, regions, and majors was not significantly different. Independent risk factors for the mild anxiety or stress of undergraduates by COVID-19 quarantine included learning efficiency or duration [OR = 1.36, 95%CI (1.14-1.62), P = 0.001], based on the combined analysis of Chi-square test analysis with multi-variable logistic regression analysis. Interestingly, the mental well-beings before COVID-19 epidemic quarantine [OR = 0.22, 95%CI (0.13-0.36), P < 0.0001], more low-intensity exercise [OR = 0.36, 95%CI (0.15-0.87), P = 0.02, high-intensity exercise as reference], and good sleep quality [OR = 0.14, 95%CI (0.07-0.30), P < 0.0001: OR = 0.42, 95%CI (0.30-0.59), P < 0.0001] are protective factors for alleviating the quarantine-caused anxiety or stress in Chinese college students for this round of COVID-19 epidemic quarantine. During the round of COVID-19 epidemic quarantine in 2022, a small number of college students have mild anxiety, affected by decreased learning efficiency or duration, which could be mitigated with low-intensity exercise and good sleep quality.