Targeted exercise interventions on stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders in PhD students

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.