Digital Media Art and Taoist Music Exposure in Student Mental Health
A Cross-Sectional PLS-SEM Study among Chinese College Students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24032155 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dongxia Guan (0009-0005-8011-9742, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Kamal Sabran (0000-0002-6330-1391, Universiti Sains Malaysia, corresponding author), Sen GAO (Universiti Sains Malaysia), Lanxin Li (0000-0003-0576-001X, Universiti Sains Malaysia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 79-93 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-16 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Intercultural Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1404-1634 • E-ISSN: 1404-1634 |
| Publisher | International Collaboration for Research and Publications (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.36923/jicc.v26i3.1381 |
| OpenAlex | W7203553583 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
This cross-sectional self-report study investigated associations between exposure to digital media art and Taoist music and mental health indicators (well-being, anxiety, and resilience) among Chinese college students. It also examined stress reduction as a statistical indirect pathway and social support as a contextual moderator. A total of 341 Chinese college students completed a structured questionnaire comprising multi-item measures. The data were analysed in SmartPLS by assessing the measurement and structural models. Both exposure variables were positively associated with well-being and resilience and negatively associated with anxiety. Specific indirect associations between both exposure variables and all three mental health outcomes, mediated by stress reduction, were statistically significant. Social support significantly moderated all three associations between stress reduction and mental health outcomes: greater social support strengthened the positive associations of stress reduction with well-being and resilience, and weakened its negative association with anxiety. The findings are consistent with Stress and Coping Theory, Broaden-and-Build Theory, and the Buffering Hypothesis, suggesting that culturally relevant and digitally delivered art experiences may be associated with students’ mental health through stress-related and supportive social processes. Because the findings are correlational, they do not demonstrate temporal mediation, causal effects, or clinical efficacy. Digital creativity and Taoist musical aesthetics may nevertheless be considered culturally situated complements to student wellness programmes, while professional counselling remains necessary for students with clinical needs.
Association (psychology) · Coping (psychology) · Creativity · Mental health · Psychological resilience · Stress (linguistics) · Stress reduction · Art Therapy and Mental Health · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Music Therapy and Health
Stress processes and depressive symptomatology.
The impact of public art education on college students’ mental health literacy
Impact of social support on the resilience of youth
The impact of employment stress on college students
The impact of Chinese folk music on the mental health and academic motivation of college students
The association between perceived social support and resilience among Chinese university students
A thematic analysis of Chinese university students’ digital art therapy experience
Enhancing psychological well-being in college students
The impact of perceived life stress and online social support on university students’ mental health during the post-Covid era in Northwestern China
Is lifestyle a bridge between perceived social support and depression in Chinese university students
Social and Psychological Resources and Adaptation
Integration of traditional Chinese music
Moral thought
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
| Highly cited | No |
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