Digital Media Art and Taoist Music Exposure in Student Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional PLS-SEM Study among Chinese College Students
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: 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.
Subfield: Conservation
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203553583