Mechanisms of the impact of sports participation on college students' psychological well-being

We investigated the impact of sports participation on the psychological wellbeing of 563 college students in China, and assessed the mediating role of social development in this relationship. The results indicated there was a significant positive correlation between sports participation and psychological well-being. Moreover, social development played a mediating role in the relationship between sports participation and psychological well-being. Our research findings contribute to understanding of the relationships among college students' sports participation, psychological well-being, and social development within the context of higher education in China. These discoveries provide educators with practical insights to enhance college students' psychological well-being and suggest directions for future research.