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REVIEW

Bojan Bjelica^1,*, Nikola Aksović², Saša Bubanj³, Radomir Pržulj¹, Tijana Perović¹, Mina Lilić⁴, Srđan Živanović⁵, Slavko Dragosavljević⁵, Kristina Pavlović⁵
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.081384 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Physical Activity and Structured Exercise Programs as Tools for Mental Health Promotion)
Abstract Background: Mental health disorders are a major global burden, highlighting the need for effective non-pharmacological interventions. Physical activity has emerged as a promising strategy for improving mental health outcomes. This systematic review examined the effects of structured physical activity and exercise interventions on mental health outcomes, addressing the growing need for effective non-pharmacological strategies for mental health promotion. Methods: The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2017 and December 2025. Study selection was based on the PICOS framework. Thirteen studies met the… More >

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Muheng Yu^1,*, Drew P. Cingel²
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080222 - 30 July 2026
Abstract Objectives: Drawing on the motivational perspective of the social comparison theory and the relevant literature on trait self-compassion, the objective of this research article is to examine that, during young adults’ passive social media use, how their trait self-compassion is related to their self-improvement or self-destruction motivations, which in turn are related to their assimilative or contrastive upward social comparison, which correspondingly is related to their positive or negative psychological well-being. Methods: the current study administered a cross-sectional survey to American college students who used social media. Participants first reported their trait self-compassion. Afterwards, participants reported… More >

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336

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Marco Ferreira^1,2,*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080597 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Teachers under Pressure: Unpacking the Relationship Between Well-being, Mental Health, Work Environment and Professional Fulfilment)
Abstract Objectives: Teachers’ well-being significantly impacts schools, educators, and students. Many negative effects of low well-being are widely recognised, with stress and burnout linked to attrition and teacher shortages globally. In Portugal, a country with a severe lack of teachers, attention to teacher well-being is crucial for the long-term sustainability of the profession. This study aims to understand teachers’ professional well-being. Specifically, it seeks to (1) clarify well-being, the sense of belonging, and autonomy within the school community and (2) explore how teachers perceive the values and behaviours of schools that prioritise well-being. Methods: A descriptive qualitative… More >

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366

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ARTICLE

Ziyan Zhou¹, Haiyun Peng², Menghao Ren^1,3, Sufei Xin^4,*, Daoqun Ding^1,5,*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.079929 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Adolescent and Youth Mental Health: Toxic and Friendly Environments)
Abstract Background: Internet addiction and depression are important mental health concerns among adolescents. Although prior research has examined their bidirectional relationship, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study examined their bidirectional relationship and tested the mediating role of self-control, with attention to gender differences. Methods: A two-wave longitudinal survey (T1: November 2021; T2: May 2022) was conducted in China among 1908 adolescents (1026 females, 882 males; mean age = 13.546, SD = 1.463). At both waves, participants completed self-report measures of internet addiction, self-control, and depression (using the Internet Addiction Scale,… More >

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606

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167

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ARTICLE

Gong Cheng^1,2, Wentao Qiu^2,3, Yuyang Nie^2,3, Wenxue Ma^2,3, Xishuai Wang⁴, Hongwei Wang^1,2, Hongcheng Cui^5,*, Cong Liu^2,3,*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078370 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Adolescent and Youth Mental Health: Toxic and Friendly Environments)
Abstract Objectives: Psychological resilience is crucial to individual adaptation. Prior variable-based studies ignored node interactions. This study used network and regression approaches to analyze associations among physical activity, social support and college students’ psychological resilience, screening core nodes and intervention targets. Methods: A total of 969 college students were investigated via cross-sectional survey. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Social Support Scale (SSS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were adopted to measure physical activity, social support and resilience. Network analysis, multiple linear regression, mediation and moderation models were applied for data processing. Results: Network analysis… More >

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221

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ARTICLE

Hyunyup Lee^1,*, Sungrok Kang¹, Yoonyoung Choi¹, Eric S. Cerino²
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080017 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Evidence-based Approaches to Managing Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide)
Abstract Background: Despite growing concerns about the mental health of professional military personnel, little is known about protective factors for mental health among military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The present study aimed to examine the differential and interaction effects of extrinsic and intrinsic protective factors on depression and mental well-being among Korean professional military personnel. Methods: A total of 500 Korean officers and NCOs completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed extrinsic factors (salary satisfaction, work environment satisfaction), intrinsic factors (occupational calling, positive appraisals of military service), and the two mental health outcomes. Results: Hierarchical regression revealed that… More >

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78

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Yan Huang¹, Yongjin Xu¹, Chunchun Wu², Guang Yang^1,*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.079935 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: From Tradition to High-Intensity: Examining the Psychological and Emotional Impacts of Exercise Types)
Abstract Background: Literature suggests that physical activity has a preventive effect on depressive symptoms, yet the association between the intensity of physical activity (a core element of physical activity) and depressive symptoms remains unclear. This study explores this association between physical activity intensity and depressive symptoms in college students. Methods: Using a cohort study design, a 3-year follow-up survey was conducted from 2017–2020 among 1415 college students (1108 females, 78.3%; 307 males, 21.7%) from Shenyang Normal University from 2017 to 2020. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to… More >

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58

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Wenjiao Li¹, Shiliang Chen¹, Xinxing Li², Yanjie Zhang^3,*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080191 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Physical Activity and Structured Exercise Programs as Tools for Mental Health Promotion)
Abstract Backgrounds: Youth living in food-insecure households show greater vulnerability to psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression. Although physical activity and sedentary behavior are established correlates of youth mental health, their associations within the context of food insecurity households remain understudied. This study examines how physical activity and sedentary behavior relate to depression and anxiety risk among children residing in food-insecure households. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021–2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), focusing on youth aged 6–17 years (n = 2118) living in food insecurity households. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex,… More >

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81

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Jeffrey Alan Gibbons^*, Emily Anne Pappalardo, Molly Jean Nolan
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080379 - 30 July 2026
Abstract Backgrounds: The Fading Affect Bias (FAB) is the faster fading of unpleasant than pleasant affect for autobiographical event memories, which is positively and negatively related to adaptive (e.g., grit) and non-adaptive measures (e.g., depression), respectively. In contrast to the reasonable expectation that maladaptive alcohol consumption should negatively predict the FAB, no such overall relation was found in the only study to examine it. Instead, alcohol consumption positively predicted the FAB for alcohol events and negatively predicted it for non-alcohol events. We used an online procedure during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to test if… More >

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54

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Siliang Yang^1,2,*, Gan Jin³
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078761 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mental Health Promotion in Higher Education: Interventions and Strategies for the Psychological Well-being of Teachers and Students)
Abstract Background: Reducing mental illness stigma is critical for mental health literacy enhancement in China, where stigmatization remains pronounced among undergraduates. Imaginative empathy is a promising anti-stigma intervention, but its specific effects and the potential moderating role of gender remain under-explored. Methods: Three studies were conducted with 18–22-year-old Chinese undergraduates. Study 1 (n = 223, survey design) explored gender’s moderation on empathy-stigma links. Study 2 (n = 217, 2 × 2 × 3 mixed design) tested the intervention effect of self-perspective imaginative empathy. Study 3 (n = 71, 2 × 2 × 2 mixed design) verified gender… More >

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637

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214

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ARTICLE

Xi Chen^*, Azlina Mohd Khir, Hanina Halimatusaadiah Hamsan, Nik Ahmad Sufian Burhan
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080122 - 30 July 2026
Abstract Background: Life satisfaction represents a core indicator of subjective well-being among university students. Yet the mechanisms linking adult attachment orientations to life satisfaction have not been fully elucidated, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts. Integrating Attachment Theory with Self-Determination Theory, this study aims to investigate how attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with life satisfaction, with autonomy, competence, and relatedness proposed as parallel mediators. Methods: Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, 488 Chinese university students (48.0% male; Mean_age = 20.15, SD = 1.42) were recruited from four universities in Anhui Province, China. Participants completed validated self-report instruments assessing attachment… More >

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1320

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638

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Chang Xu^*
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078865 - 30 July 2026
Abstract Objectives: Postmenopausal women experience hormonal and psychosocial changes that can affect emotion regulation. Although exercise may enhance cognitive control during emotion regulation, evidence on prefrontal activation in this population is limited. This study examined whether acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise influences emotion regulation and prefrontal activation in postmenopausal women. Methods: Postmenopausal women (≥12 months since last menstruation) were randomised to a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise condition or a time-matched sedentary control condition (n = 102). Analyses included participants with usable behavioural and fNIRS data (exercise n = 32; control n = 35). The exercise group completed 30 min of cycling… More >

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708

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176

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Yalin Aygun^1,*, Şakir Tufekci¹, Burak Canpolat², Fatih Harun Turhan³, Burak Yagin⁴, Sacide Tufekci⁵, Georgian Badicu⁶, Moazzam Tanveer^7,8, İsmet Seval¹, Hülya Berktaş¹
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.077338 - 30 July 2026
Abstract Background: Large-scale earthquakes may substantially affect university students’ psychological functioning, motivation, and overall well-being. Understanding these multidimensional psychosocial processes is essential for developing effective post-disaster mental health and physical activity interventions. This study examined psychological well-being, post-earthquake trauma symptoms, recreational sport well-being, and sport motivation among university students studying in Türkiye’s earthquake-affected region. In addition, demographic and contextual factors were explored to better understand psychosocial differences in post-disaster adaptation. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed with 651 sport sciences students from two universities located in the 2023 earthquake zone. Data were collected using an online questionnaire… More >

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28

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Yazhou Huang^1,2, Xing Yi^2,*, Xiaoyun Huang^1,*, Ruoya Li²
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.7, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.080202 - 30 July 2026
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Adolescence in Contemporary Times: Risks, Resilience and Mental Health)
Abstract Backgrounds: Left-behind children are particularly vulnerable to emotional and social maladjustment due to prolonged parental absence, yet the psychological mechanisms linking interpersonal disturbance to their psychological security remain insufficiently understood. Guided by the Conservation of Resources Theory, this research aims to explore how interpersonal disturbance influcence psychological security among left-behind children, specifically through the serial mediation effect of resilience and self-esteem. Methods: Survey questionnaires were distributed via convenience sampling to left-behind children whose age ranging from 10 to 13 years old in Guangxi, China, finally, 696 valid responses (Mean age = 11.40, Standard Deviation (SD) =… More >

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