AUTHOR=Derelioğlu Mehmet , Vural Mustafa , Çimen Erkan , Saki Ünal , Yağız Saraçoğlu Yusuf , Karataş Baykal , Saç Ajlan , Yamaner Emre , Halmatov Medera , Yılmaz Coşkun , Öztaş Mehmet , Arıkan Gökhan , Ceylan Levent 

TITLE=Exploring how cognitive-behavioral physical activity links ruminative thinking and mental wellbeing in sports high school adolescents

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1665882

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1665882

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=IntroductionThis study examined the associations among ruminative thinking style (RTS), subjective wellbeing (SWB), and cognitive-behavioral physical activity (CBPA) in a sample of 1,326 adolescents (aged 14–18) from sports high schools.MethodUsing validated self-report measures, data were analyzed through bootstrapped mediation models.ResultsRTS was negatively associated with SWB (β = −0.1792, p < 0.001), while CBPA showed a partial mediating effect in this relationship (indirect β = 0.0779, p < 0.001).DiscussionThese results suggest that cognitive-behavioral orientations toward physical activity may buffer the negative impact of rumination on wellbeing. Consistent with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, CBPA could provide adolescents with self-regulatory strategies that support mental health. However, the cross-sectional and self-report design, as well as the focus on sports high school students, limit causal inference and generalizability. Future longitudinal and cross-cultural studies are needed to confirm these findings. Overall, the study provides preliminary evidence that CBPA-informed approaches may hold promise for promoting adolescents' mental wellbeing.