Teaching Strategies for Mental Health Education in Physical Education Classes

With the growing societal demand for the holistic development of students, physical education (PE) courses have increasingly become a vital platform for promoting both physical and mental well-being. This paper begins by defining the core concepts of physical education and mental health education, and systematically analyzes the key factors influencing students' mental health development. Drawing on psychological development theories and physical education pedagogy, it constructs a multidimensional and dynamic model for mental health education. Focusing on the systematic integration of teaching content, the diversification of instructional methods, and the establishment of scientific evaluation mechanisms, the study explores strategic approaches to the design of mental health education in PE classes. Special emphasis is placed on the transformation of the teacher’s role, the mechanisms through which peer interactions enhance learning, and the practical impact of optimizing the learning environment on providing psychological support to students. The research aims to promote a more systematic, personalized, and scientific approach to mental health education in PE, enhance students’ emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and social adaptability, and offer theoretical and practical insights for the development of school-based mental health education in the new era.