Published online Oct 19, 2023. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i10.784
Peer-review started: June 5, 2023
First decision: July 4, 2023
Revised: July 15, 2023
Accepted: August 7, 2023
Article in press: August 7, 2023
Published online: October 19, 2023
Processing time: 128 Days and 17.8 Hours
Depression is a common mental disorder among college students. The main symptoms include being persistent low mood, sad emotional experiences, lack of pleasure, listlessness, and impaired cognitive function accompanied by tendencies of self-harm and suicide.
To clarify the pathways and effects of the behavioral activation system between physical activity and depressive symptoms in college students with depressive symptoms.
This cross-sectional research screened 3047 college students. Of these, 472 had depressive symptoms, with a depression detection rate of 15.49%. Furthermore, 442 college students with depressive symptoms were analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, and structural equation modeling analyses were used to explore the correlations and pathways of the interactions between the variables.
Depressive symptoms were significantly negatively correlated with physical activity (r = -0.175, P < 0.001), the behavioral activation system (r = -0.197, P < 0.001), and drive (r = -0.113, P = 0.017). Furthermore, it was negatively correlated with fun-seeking (FS) (r = -0.055, P = 0.251); however, it was not significant. Physical activity was significantly positively correlated with reward responsiveness (RR) (r = 0.141, P = 0.003) and drive (r = 0.124, P = 0.009) and not significantly positively correlated with FS (r = 0.090, P = 0.058). The mediating effect of RR between physical activity and depressive symptoms was significant [B = -0.025, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.051 to -0.008, P = 0.001]. The direct and total effects of physical activity on depressive symptoms and were significant (B = -0.150, 95%CI: -0.233 to -0.073, P < 0.001; B =
As physical activity levels increased, depression scores among college students decreased. The mediating effect of RR between physical activity and depressive symptoms was significant. Therefore, colleges and universities should encourage college students with depression to increase their physical activity and improve their behavioral activation system. Particular attention should be paid to RR, which may reduce the prevalence of depressive symptoms.
Core Tip: This study explored the specificity of the behavioral activation system for physical activity and reward motivation in college students with different depressive symptom scores. Furthermore, the inter-relationships among the three variables were examined via a cross-sectional research design. Pathways of the behavioral activation system that mediated the effect of physical activity level on depressive symptoms in college students with depressive symptoms were clarified.