The Impact of Coping Styles on the Mental Health of Outstanding Physical Education Students in Shanghai During the Normalization Epidemic: The Chain Mediation Role of Meaning in Life and Prosocial Behavior

Fang Zhai,1 Fulei Han,2 Qiulin Wang1 1College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People’s Republic of China; 2Kunshan No. 1 Vocational School in Jiangsu Province, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215300, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qiulin Wang, Email wangql@yzu.edu.cnPurpose: The continuous spread of the epidemic has inflicted serious harm upon individual’s mental well-being, and effective coping mechanisms are associated with positive mental health outcomes. Prosocial behavior and a sense of meaning in life can enhance individuals’ subjective well-being, which can subsequently positively impact their mental health. Thus, in the context of epidemic prevention and control, this study investigates the relationship between the meaning in life, prosocial behavior, and coping styles of outstanding physical education students and the impact on their mental health.Methods: The study involved a questionnaire survey on 498 outstanding physical education students, consisting of 297 boys (mean age = 13.16) and 201 girls (mean age = 12.87 years). Subsequently, the data was analyzed using the mediating effect and Bootstrap tests.Results: The coping style positively predicted the meaning in life (β=0.294) and prosocial behavior (β=0.293). Conversely, mental health was predicted in a negative direction (β=– 0.494). Mental health negatively predicted prosocial behavior (β=– 0.810), although prosocial behavior positively predicted meaning in life (β=0.644). Finally, prosocial behavior negatively predicted mental health (β=– 0.513). Additionally, the interplay between prosocial behavior and meaning in life is established in terms of both the individual and chain mediating roles.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that coping styles during a normalized epidemic prevention and control situation directly impact the mental health of Shanghai’s outstanding physical education students. Additionally, these coping styles indirectly influence mental health through the mediating effects of meaning in life and prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, meaning in life and prosocial behaviors act as chain mediators in this relationship.Keywords: coping style, mental health, meaning in life, prosocial behavior