{"title":"Risk Factors for Relapse of Schizophrenia in the Elderly During the Maintenance Phase: A Matched Case-Control Study.","authors":"Biqi Zu, Ting Wang, Chunying Pan, Wentao Li, Libin An, Juan Yin, Yulan Wu, Junting Xu, Dandan Li, Xin Wu, Ziwei Xie","doi":"10.31083/AP39866","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39866","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the risk factors for relapse among elderly schizophrenia patients undergoing maintenance phase treatment, aiming to offer insights for relapse prevention in this population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A survey was conducted of elderly schizophrenia patients in the maintenance phase who attended outpatient clinics at a specialized psychiatric hospital from October, 2021 to September, 2023. The survey included both general and clinical data. Univariate analysis and multivariate non-conditional logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify independent risk factors for relapse in elderly schizophrenic patients undergoing maintenance phase treatment. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn based on logistic regression results and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive value of each risk factor for relapse studied in these patients.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 247 patients were collected, with 225 patients included in the analysis: 75 in the recurrence group and 150 in the non-recurrence group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated: Irregular medication status (odds ratio (OR) = 3.302, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.386-7.871), low exercise frequency (OR = 2.770, 95% CI: 1.141-6.726), family care points (OR = 0.647, 95% CI: 0.514-0.813), life event points (OR = 1.353, 95% CI: 1.194-1.533), and sleep duration (OR = 0.630, 95% CI: 0.504-0.788) as independent influencing factors for relapse during the maintenance phase of elderly patients with schizophrenia. The AUC for predicting relapse varied among these factors: Medication status (AUC: 0.660, 95% CI: 0.594-0.726), exercise frequency (AUC: 0.663, 95% CI: 0.599-0.727), family care (AUC: 0.691, 95% CI: 0.618-0.764), life events (AUC: 0.792, 95% CI: 0.731-0.853), and sleep duration (AUC: 0.789, 95% CI: 0.718-0.859). When considering all influencing factors, the AUC for predicting relapse during maintenance phase treatment of elderly patients with schizophrenia was 0.908 (95% CI: 0.867-0.949).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Medication status, exercise frequency, family care, life events and sleep duration emerged as independent influencing factors for relapse among elderly schizophrenia patients during maintenance phase treatment. Paying attention to these influencing factors simultaneously is suggested to prevent recurrence.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39866"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144029209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alpha psychiatryPub Date : 2025-04-21eCollection Date: 2025-04-01DOI: 10.31083/AP39867
Beliz Köroğlu, Feride Sülen Şahin Kıralp
{"title":"Validity and Reliability of a Fear of Failure Scale for Adolescents.","authors":"Beliz Köroğlu, Feride Sülen Şahin Kıralp","doi":"10.31083/AP39867","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39867","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to establish the validity and reliability of a fear of failure scale for adolescents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study involved 279 secondary school students enrolled in the 2020-2021 academic year. Internal consistency, item-total score correlation, and split-half methods were used to determine reliability, while exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to determine validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The two split-in-half method calculations found a Guttman Split-in-Half coefficient of 0.855 and a Spearman-Brown coefficient of 0.857. Cronbach's Alpha was 0.802 for the first half (items 1-9) and 0.774 for the second half (items 10-17). CFA analyses showed that a three-factor solution fit the data, but some goodness-of-fit indices fell below acceptable levels. To improve the model, error covariances of certain items were correlated based on modification indices. The final values were Minimum Discrepancy of Confirmatory Factor Analysis/Degrees of Freedom (CMIN/df) = 2.727, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.911, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.863, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.673, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.079, χ<sup>2</sup> = 160.9, Degrees of Freedom (DF) = 59. Factor loadings ranged from 0.52 to 0.83 for the first factor, 0.68 to 0.85 for the second factor, and 0.55 to 0.84 for the third factor.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The fear of failure scale is a reliable and valid measurement tool. A review of the existing literature revealed a lack of scales that assess the physical, emotional, and thought dimensions of fear of failure among individuals aged 11-14 years. This gap underscores the potential for measurement-based research in this domain. Through this study, a valid and reliable scale was developed to evaluate fear of failure in adolescents within the 11-14 year-age range, thereby addressing this critical need.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39867"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059759/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144060062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identity Disturbance in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Scoping Review Protocol.","authors":"Danielle Mullins, Sonia Lorente, Víctor Suárez, Guillem Feixas","doi":"10.31083/AP39864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39864","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition characterized by instability in interpersonal relationships, affect regulation, and impulse control. A core feature of BPD is identity disturbance, marked by a persistently unstable self-image and sense of self. Despite clinical recognition, the precise nature of identity disturbance remains ambiguous, with no clear consensus on its specific manifestations and measurable parameters. With the scoping review projected in this protocol, we aim to define what has been said in the literature about identity disturbance, its types, and methods of measurement.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Scoping review protocol.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Included publications will comprise empirical and theoretical studies focusing on identity disturbance in individuals diagnosed with BPD. Databases will include PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection, supplemented by Google for grey literature. Data will be screened by two reviewers and discrepancies will be resolved through discussion or a third reviewer if necessary. Extracted data will include study details, methodological data, definitions of identity, conceptualizations of identity disturbance, types of disturbance, and assessment tools.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The forthcoming results will have the potential to make significant contributions to both theoretical and empirical knowledge on identity disturbance in BPD. It is expected that the results of the review will help to inform and improve therapeutic strategies, enabling more tailored and effective interventions for BPD patients with identity disturbance.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39864"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059728/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144035335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alpha psychiatryPub Date : 2025-04-03eCollection Date: 2025-04-01DOI: 10.31083/AP39496
Sinem Çetin Demirtaş, Lut Tamam, Mehmet Emin Demirkol, Caner Yeşiloğlu
{"title":"Turkish Adaptation of the Screening Questionnaire for Intermittent Explosive Disorder.","authors":"Sinem Çetin Demirtaş, Lut Tamam, Mehmet Emin Demirkol, Caner Yeşiloğlu","doi":"10.31083/AP39496","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39496","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) is an impulse-control disorder characterized by the inability to control emotions and behaviors, resulting in behaviors that violate social norms and the rights of others. The IED Screening Questionnaire (IED-SQ) is a valuable tool that can quickly identify the presence of IED in adults by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) criteria. This study evaluated a form of the IED-SQ that had been translated into Turkish, and investigated the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the IED-SQ.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Seventy-one adult IED patients and 68 adult controls participated. The Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), Minnesota Impulse Control Disorder Interview Scale (MIDI), Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), and IED-SQ were administered to the participants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Cronbach's α coefficient of the IED-SQ was 0.74. The subscales of the BPAQ, including physical aggression, verbal aggression, hostility, and anger, along with the attention and non-planning impulsivity subscales of the BIS-11, were incorporated into the multivariate analysis to identify factors independently associated with the IED-SQ. According to the model, the correct classification percentage was found to be 95%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrated that the Turkish version of the IED-SQ is valid and reliable and can be used in clinical practices to identify the presence of IED.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39496"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059778/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144035337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alpha psychiatryPub Date : 2025-04-03eCollection Date: 2025-04-01DOI: 10.31083/AP39495
Feng Jiang, Yi-Lang Tang
{"title":"Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Disorders: Adopting a Proactive Health Approach.","authors":"Feng Jiang, Yi-Lang Tang","doi":"10.31083/AP39495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39495","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39495"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059738/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144036659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid may Alter CD200/CD200R Signaling Pathways in a Rat Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder.","authors":"Xiaoou Xu, Li Tan, Xiaojuan Zhang","doi":"10.31083/AP39444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39444","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To investigate the potential toxic effects of prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) on microglia-neuron communication in the brain, with a specific focus on the alterations in key molecules involved in this process, namely CX3CL1/CX3CR1 and CD200/CD200R, during the early stages of life in a rat model of autism.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pregnant female rats were administered either sterile saline or VPA on embryonic day 12.5. The brains of the rat offspring were collected on postnatal day 30 for analysis. Immunohistochemical techniques and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to assess changes in microglia-neuron crosstalk.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study revealed a significant reduction in CD200 levels within the hippocampus of rats on postnatal day 30 following prenatal exposure to VPA, indicating an impairment in CD200/CD200R signaling. Additionally, there was no observed increase in microglial numbers or any pathological alterations in the hippocampus. Additionally, no significant changes in the levels of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 were noted in the VPA-exposed rats compared with the control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prenatal exposure to VPA resulted in a decrease in CD200 expression within the hippocampus, potentially disrupting the communication between microglia and neurons. The findings suggest that VPA may modify the interactions between microglia and neurons, which could lead to neuroinflammation due to hyperactivated microglia. These disruptions have the potential to affect synaptic connectivity and contribute to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Further research is necessary to clarify the underlying mechanisms and implications for pathological conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39444"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144021767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of the Repeat Clinical Hospitalization Risk Assessment Scale in Chronic Psychiatric Diseases.","authors":"Necla Şahin, Birgül Özkan","doi":"10.31083/AP39445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study was conducted to provide a comprehensive scale that evaluates the risk of repeated inpatient hospitalizations in chronic psychiatric diseases in order to predict and prevent repeated hospitalizations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study population consisted of individuals with chronic psychiatric diseases (n = 390) receiving inpatient treatment at the adult psychiatry inpatient services of Turkey Ankara Bilkent City Hospital. The sample number calculation was made based on 10 times the number of scale items. For the pilot component of the research, data was collected between February, 2023 and January, 2024. An 'Informed Voluntary Consent Form', a 'Sociodemographic Data Collection Form', the 'Discharge Readiness Scale', and the 'Repeated Clinical Hospitalization Risk Assessment Draft Scale for Chronic Psychiatric Diseases' were used as data collection tools. During the development stages, the validity and reliability of the scale were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Content Validity Index (CVI) value of the scale items was calculated as 0.98. Cronbach's alpha of the scale was found to be 0.833.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The 'Repeated Clinical Hospitalization Risk Assessment Scale in Chronic Psychiatric Diseases' is a valid and reliable scale for the Turkish population in terms of measuring risk level.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39445"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059795/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144059016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Evaluation Protocol for A Stabilisation and Referral Area (SARA): A Novel Short Stay Psychiatry Unit Serving A Remote Region of Australia.","authors":"David Mitchell, Daniel Bressington","doi":"10.31083/AP39448","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP39448","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Stabilisation and Referral Areas (SARA) are a unique model of Short Stay Psychiatry inpatient care. This protocol details the comprehensive evaluation of a new SARA service within the Royal Darwin Hospital located in remote and regional Australia. Located in the Northern Territory (NT) there are just 17 specialised mental health beds per 100,000 compared to the national average of 27 per 100,000. There have been no previous evaluations of SARA services in regional and remote Australian settings, therefore their acceptability and potential effects on consumer outcomes in these unique settings is unknown. This study protocol attempts to address this knowledge gap.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>A mixed method study with triangulation and including mirror methodology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A service evaluation protocol is proposed to be conducted over an initial 12 months period with a mirror image component to enable comparison of consumer outcomes prior to the service inception. The service evaluation is guided by the \"Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance\" (RE-AIM) framework and utilized both qualitative and quantitative measures to comprehensively describe the service.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results will include both qualitative and quantitative data using the \"R\", \"E\" and \"A\" component (Reach, Effectiveness and Adoption) of the RE-AIM framework.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Emergency departments (EDs) are not well suited to persons experiencing mental health crisis and efforts need to be made to improve the delivery of service as well as patient flow. Minimizing wait times in ED is paramount. SARA is an innovative model of care that may address some of these issues. Evaluating its performance across a range of measures is key to improving and progressing the service. The unique context of the service location which has a large First Nations population and its remote setting adds further weight to the need to understand this model within this geographical context.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"39448"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059753/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144043443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alpha psychiatryPub Date : 2025-03-13eCollection Date: 2025-04-01DOI: 10.31083/AP38997
Lingjun Chu, Nan Jiang, Xiwang Fan
{"title":"Prevalence and Correlates of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Adolescent Patients with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms.","authors":"Lingjun Chu, Nan Jiang, Xiwang Fan","doi":"10.31083/AP38997","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP38997","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients are often comorbid with depression and anxiety. However, limited research has explored this comorbidity from the perspective of individuals with depression and anxiety exhibiting obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). This study aims to investigate the prevalence and potential associations between depression, anxiety, and OCS in the adolescent patient population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective study was employed in this research. A total of: 327 drug-naive, first-episode adolescent patients aged 10 to 19 years, presenting both depressive and anxiety symptoms, were recruited from the Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center in China. The Chinese version of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess the severity of OCS. Binary logistic regression was applied to analyze the influence of depression and anxiety levels on OCS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>More than half (52.3%) of the 327 adolescent participants with depressive and anxiety symptoms had severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Additionally, 35.9% had moderate OCS, 12.9% had mild OCS, and only 2.8% were symptom-free. The results also indicated a significant correlation between OCS and both depression (β = 0.073, Wald χ<sup>2</sup> < 0.001, <i>p</i> < 0.005) and anxiety levels (β = 0.066, Wald χ<sup>2</sup> < 0.005, <i>p</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings provide valuable insights into the predictive ability of depression and anxiety level in the development of OCS and OCD during adolescence, highlighting the importance of early identification and intervention. Future studies should include a larger and more diverse sample, with the incorporation of professional clinical evaluations to further verify these results.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>The study was registered at https://www.chictr.org.cn/, registration number: ChiCTR2300070007.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"38997"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059743/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144014384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relationship between Physical Exercise Self-Efficacy and Persistent Exercise Behavior among College Students.","authors":"Ziao Hu, Yu Zhang, Chen Liao, Liying Nong, Kudulike Kadier, Kun Zhu","doi":"10.31083/AP38955","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31083/AP38955","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Understanding the factors that sustain physical activity among college students is crucial for promoting a healthy lifestyle, as emphasized by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 3. While the link between physical activity and health outcomes is established, less is known about how physical exercise self-efficacy (PESE) influences persistent exercise behavior (PEB) through different forms of physical activity engagement (PAE). This study investigates whether PESE promotes PEB via cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, based on self-determination theory (SDT) and engagement theory.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 16 to August 16, 2023, involving 900 Chinese college students recruited through convenience sampling on the Questionnaire Star platform, the participants were selected through convenience sampling, which ensured the inclusion of a diverse demography across various grades, educational backgrounds, and study fields. Before the participants provided informed consent, they were briefed on the study's objectives, data processing procedures, and privacy protections. Validated scales assessed PESE, PAE, and PEB. Data quality was ensured by excluding invalid or incomplete responses. Statistical analyses were performed in several stages. Using SPSS, item and reliability analyses of the research instrument were performed to confirm internal consistency. Then, the confirmatory factor analysis was performed for each scale by using AMOS. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to validate the proposed research model and conduct path analysis, thereby assessing the hypothesized relationships among PESE, PAE, and PEB.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PESE positively influenced cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in physical activity. These forms of engagement, in turn, positively affected fluency experience (FE), which subsequently enhanced PEB. The findings indicate that PESE augments FE by improving PAE, leading to sustained exercise behavior among college students.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study demonstrates the critical role of PESE in fostering persistent exercise behavior through its impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. These insights highlight the importance of designing interventions that enhance PESE and PAE to promote long-term commitment to physical activity among college students, supporting broader health and well-being goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":72151,"journal":{"name":"Alpha psychiatry","volume":"26 2","pages":"38955"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12059754/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144012126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}