Psychosocial Resources, Daily Tai Chi Practice, and Mental Health Among Chinese Undergraduates: A Mixed-Methods Study

Purpose

To examine direct and serial indirect associations linking emotional intelligence, perceived social support, psychological capital, and mental health; assess their associations with usual daily Tai Chi practice; and describe how students experienced these resources during practice. Participants and methods: This cross-sectional embedded mixed-methods study analyzed questionnaire and open-text data from 3972 Chinese university students with prior Tai Chi experience. Tai Chi combines coordinated movement, breathing, and focused attention; this survey assessed existing course-based or other practice rather than delivering a standardized intervention. Covariate-adjusted regressions and 5000 bootstrap draws estimated direct and indirect associations with the 20-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20) score. Specification curves examined 480 practice-exposure models, and framework-directed content analysis contextualized participants' experiences.