The Effect of Health Qigong-Baduanjin on Psychological Sub-Health Among University Students of Different Majors

Abstract

Psychological sub-health issues among university students are increasingly severe, characterized by emotional dysregulation, heightened stress, diminished concentration, and insufficient self-efficacy. Psychological sub-health, a transitional state between health and disease, may progress to mental or physical disorders without timely intervention. This study adopts the traditional health Qigong practice-Baduanjin-as an intervention to explore its effects on alleviating psychological sub-health in university students and differences across disciplines, aiming to provide a novel intervention model for campus mental health education and scientific evidence for promoting Baduanjin courses.Research Purpose: As a non-pharmacological therapy in traditional Chinese medicine for health preservation, Fitness Qigong-Baduanjin has garnered widespread attention due to its safety and lack of side effects. This study aims to achieve the following objectives:  1. To explore the improvement effects of Fitness Qigong-Baduanjin on psychological sub-health states (e.g., anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, sleep disorders) among college students. 2. To analyze the differences in intervention effects of practicing Baduanjin among students from different majors, thereby revealing the efficacy of Baduanjin as a psychological intervention for college students across disciplines.Research Design:  This study comprises theoretical and experimental components. The theoretical part involves a systematic review of modern medical research on sub-health through literature analysis, aiming to elucidate traditional Chinese medicine’s understanding of Fitness Qigong-Baduanjin in addressing psychological sub-health and its current status in prevention and treatment.  The experimental part involves recruiting undergraduate students from four colleges at Huanghe Science and Technology University: the Medical School, College of Engineering, Business School, and College of Liberal Arts. Participants from these four colleges are randomly divided into 8 groups on average: four Baduanjin experimental groups (one per college) and four control groups (one per college). The intervention spans 9 and 18 weeks, with comparative analyses conducted using the SCL-90 Self-Reporting Inventory. Group comparisons are performed based on the total mean scores of the same scale across different majors after 9 and 18 weeks of intervention.