Background With the increasing global aging population, depression in older adults has become an increasingly prominent issue. As a traditional mind–body exercise, Tai Chi Exercise (TCE) may have the potential to alleviate depression in older adults. However, its underlying mechanisms, particularly the mediating role of Psychological Resilience (PR) and the complex relationships between variables, require systematic exploration. Methods This study employed an integrated research design and surveyed 1,143 older adults through questionnaires. Mediation analysis was used to test the mediating effect of PR between TCE and depression (Dep). Additionally, network analysis was used to construct a cross-sectional network model of TCE, PR, and Dep symptoms to reveal the systemic associations between the variables. Results Mediation analysis showed that TCE not only negatively predicted Dep directly ( β = −0.068, p 0.001) but also indirectly alleviated Dep symptoms through improving PR. The indirect effect (−0.192) accounted for 73.88% of the total effect. Network analysis further revealed the complex structure between variables: internal connections within constructs were strong, while direct connections between constructs were weaker. The item “I can achieve my goals” (PR1) was the most influential core node in the network. Conclusion This study revealed the dual pathways through which TCE alleviates depression in older adults: the direct effect and the indirect effect through enhancing PR. Network analysis provided systemic-level evidence for this mediating mechanism and identified the key intervention target of “goal achievement.” This suggests that future efforts to promote TCE for enhancing older adults’ mental health should focus on strengthening its role in improving PR, particularly in fostering a sense of personal control and goal achievement, thereby enabling more precise and effective interventions.
Fan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.