Multidimensional Empowerment and Practical Pathways of University Sports for Students’ Mental Health

Abstract

Against the backdrop of intensifying social competition, university students confront multiple pressures, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression have become increasingly prominent, posing serious challenges to student education and management. Physical activity can empower students’ mental health across four dimensions—physiological foundations, emotion regulation, cognitive optimization, and social support—by modulating neurotransmitter secretion, providing channels for emotional release, enhancing cognitive function, and creating platforms for social interaction. To fully leverage the regulatory role of sports in mental health, universities should build an integrated intervention system that coordinates physical education with psychological services by optimizing curricula, strengthening student sports clubs, fostering a campus sports culture, and developing professional teaching staff. Such measures provide effective practical pathways for mental health education and promote students’ holistic and healthy development.