Research on the Value and Pathways of Integrating Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture into College Students’ Mental Health Education

Mental health education courses hold significant strategic importance in the talent cultivation system of the new era. This study deeply analyzes the valuable spiritual values of traditional Chinese culture such as “self-cultivation and nurturing one’s nature”, “harmony between man and nature”, “benevolence and harmony”, and “self-improvement” for college students in terms of cognitive regulation, emotion management, life education, and personality shaping. It also dissects the main challenges currently faced in integrating excellent traditional Chinese culture into college students’ mental health education, including insufficient in-depth exploration of content, lack of innovation in teaching methods, and relatively weak teaching staff. The study proposes practical approaches such as constructing a hierarchical and experience-oriented curriculum system, innovating situational teaching methods, strengthening the training of teachers’ traditional cultural literacy, creating an immersive campus cultural environment, and integrating modern technology to broaden dissemination channels. The aim is to provide theoretical support and practical references for building a mental health education system for college students with Chinese characteristics and cultural depth. Key words: Chinese excellent traditional culture; College students; Mental health education