A substantial body of evidence indicates that neurological, psychological, and behavioral health issues are profoundly linked to interoceptive sensitivity. The present study aimed to identify the effects of interoceptive sensitivity on the relationship between physical activity and symptoms of depression in Chinese college students. This study employed a cross-sectional design using convenience sampling. An online self-reported survey was distributed to college students in China. The participants’ interoceptive sensitivity, physical activity levels, and depressive symptoms were measured using the MAIA-2, IPAQ-SF, and PHQ-9, respectively. The mediating effect was tested via regression analysis and a parallel mediation model, with bootstrap confidence intervals for indirect effects. The results showed a significant negative correlation between physical activity and depression. A significant positive correlation was observed between physical activity and seven dimensions of interoceptive sensitivity. Conversely, interoceptive sensitivity exhibited a negative correlation with depression. The bootstrap mediation analysis showed that the “not distracting” and “trusting” dimensions of interoceptive sensitivity had significant indirect effects on the relationship between physical activity and depression, suggesting that physical activity might reduce depressive symptoms via these two interoceptive sensitivity dimensions. The findings suggest that interoceptive sensitivity should be integrated into therapeutic interventions, such as physical activity interventions, in the treatment of mental illnesses, particularly depression. Increasing physical activity levels, with a specific focus on enhancing interoceptive modulation, appears to be a promising approach for addressing depression in college students.

The working state of firefighters is important for their own safety as well as that of the general public. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations between self-concept clarity, resilience, work engagement, and job burnout among firefighters, as well as the impacts of self-concept clarity and resilience as resources that can maintain their working state. Based on data from 2,156 firefighters, analysis showed that self-concept clarity was negatively associated with job burnout and positively associated with work engagement. The results also showed that self-concept clarity had a direct effect on job burnout and work engagement, and an indirect effect by improving the firefighters’ resilience. Maintaining and improving their self-concept clarity and resilience promises to be an effective strategy for guaranteeing the working state of firefighters.