Perceived Stress and Depression Among College Students in Shanghai: Psychological Resilience as a Potential Protective Factor Across Physical Activity Levels in a Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Depression has emerged as one of the most prevalent mental health disorders among Chinese college students, significantly impacting the development of higher education in China. The intervention and prevention of depression have become key priorities for the Chinese government. Participants and Methods: This study utilized the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Psychological Resilience Scale (PRS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-DS). It focused on college students from two universities in Shanghai, China, which have been identified by the Center for Epidemiological Studies as having high incidence of depression. The research investigated the mechanisms through which enhanced psychological resilience mitigates perceived stress and depressive symptoms across different levels of physical activity. Results: The results reveal that psychological resilience mediates the relationship between perceived stress and depression in college students, irrespective of whether their physical activity levels are low, moderate, or high. However, significant differences were observed in the mediating effect of psychological resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and depression across different levels of physical activity. Psychological resilience demonstrates a notably strong mediating effect among college students engaged in high levels of physical activity. While the mediating effect remains significant under moderate levels of physical activity, its strength is considerably lower. In college students with low levels of physical activity, the mediating effect is comparatively weakest. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between perceived stress and depression varies across college students with different levels of physical activity. This underscores the importance for educational authorities to implement measures that encourage college students to maintain higher levels of physical activity, thereby enhancing their psychological resilience and effectively mitigating perceived stress and depression among this population.