Wu FL, Yang Q, Jiang J, Yu J, Jin YC. Targeted exercise interventions on stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in PhD students. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 109558 [PMID: 41357930 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.109558]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Fei-Long Wu, PhD, PsyD, Post Doctoral Researcher, Professor, Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, No. 169 Changle West Road, Xi’an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China. 201607025@xaau.edu.cn
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Psychiatry
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Retrospective Study
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Dec 19, 2025 (publication date) through Mar 1, 2026
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Wu FL, Yang Q, Jiang J, Yu J, Jin YC. Targeted exercise interventions on stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in PhD students. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 109558 [PMID: 41357930 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.109558]
World J Psychiatry. Dec 19, 2025; 15(12): 109558 Published online Dec 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.109558
Targeted exercise interventions on stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in PhD students
Fei-Long Wu, Qun Yang, Juan Jiang, Jing Yu, Yin-Chuan Jin
Fei-Long Wu, Qun Yang, Yin-Chuan Jin, Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
Juan Jiang, Martial Arts and Dance College, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning Province, China
Jing Yu, College of Sports Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Fei-Long Wu and Qun Yang.
Author contributions: Wu FL wrote the original draft, designed the study, and acquired funding; Wu FL, Jiang J, and Yu J were responsible for developing the methodology and participated in the formal analysis and investigation; Wu FL, Yang Q, Jiang J, Yu J, and Jin YC participated in the review and editing of subsequent versions; Wu FL and Yang Q were equally responsible for providing scientific research resources, managing the research team, and revising the manuscript for important intellectual content, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Supported by the Key Think Tank Research Project of the Shaanxi Federation of Social Sciences, No. 2023ZD1080.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Martial Arts and Dance College, Shenyang Sport University, approval No. 20241012.
Informed consent statement: All participants provided written informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Fei-Long Wu, PhD, PsyD, Post Doctoral Researcher, Professor, Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, No. 169 Changle West Road, Xi’an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China. 201607025@xaau.edu.cn
Received: May 15, 2025 Revised: June 17, 2025 Accepted: October 14, 2025 Published online: December 19, 2025 Processing time: 196 Days and 21 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Doctoral students often encounter mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. It is important to explore effective intervention methods to enhance their overall physical and mental well-being. It is anticipated that targeted exercise will lead to a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression levels as well as an improvement in sleep quality.
AIM
To assess the feasibility and potential benefits of both intervention models in enhancing the sleep quality of doctoral students while alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis of health data from 64 doctoral students across three universities in Shenyang during the 2024-2025 academic year was conducted. The participants were divided into a targeted exercise group and a Tai Chi group. The study employed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to evaluate the impact of the two interventions on reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.
RESULTS
The primary results of the study indicated that targeted exercise interventions are significantly effective in alleviating symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as in improving sleep quality. Compared to Tai Chi interventions, this approach demonstrates greater durability of effects. Although the efficacy of targeted interventions may gradually diminish over time, the overall research findings suggest that targeted exercise remains a more effective therapeutic approach than Tai Chi interventions.
CONCLUSION
The impact of targeted exercise on stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders was greater than that of Tai Chi, confirming the potential benefits for psychological health intervention for doctoral students.
Core Tip: This study compared the effectiveness of targeted exercise and Tai Chi in alleviating stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders among doctoral students. While Tai Chi positively impacted mental health, targeted exercise was a more effective and sustainable intervention. This study addressed a gap in previous research that predominantly focused on the effects of a single exercise. Our study provided a new perspective and preliminary evidence for future mental health intervention strategies. Consequently, this study proposed more effective sports intervention strategies, thereby enriching the theoretical foundation of mental health interventions
