Can Non-Subject-Based Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in the Context of the Implementation of the Double Reduction Policy? A Study Based on a Survey in 30 Counties in Six Eastern, Central, and Western Provinces of China Weidong Fu, Wei Li Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China Abstract: Mental Health of primary and secondary school students has drawn wide public attention against the backdrop of the implementation of the Double Reduction policy. This article aims to analyze the effects of non-subject-based off-campus training on student mental health based on an investigation among primary and secondary school students from 30 counties (cities, districts) in six eastern, central, and western provinces of China. Best Evidence in Chinese Education 2023; 13(2):1697-1701. Doi: 10.15354/bece.23.ar033 How to Cite: Fu, W., & Li, W. (2023). Can non-subject-based off-campus training improve student mental health in the context of the implementation of the double reduction policy? A study based on a survey in 30 counties in six eastern, central, and western provinces of China. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 13(2):1697- 1701. Keywords: Mental Health, Non-Subject-Based Training, Double Reduction Policy Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China. BECE, Vol.13, No.2, 2022 1698 Correspondence to: Weidong Fu, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, Hunan, China. E-mail: 604143009@qq.com Conflict of Interests: None. © 2023 Insights Publisher. All rights reserved. Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed by the Insights Publisher. mailto:604143009@qq.com http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China. BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1699 Introduction According to the survey results of the Report on National Mental Health Development in China (2019-2020), only 14.24% of Chinese teenagers reached the standard of men- tal healthiness and 24.6% of them were identified as suffering from depression in 2020 (Fu, Zhang, & Chen, 2021). This shows a worrisome circumstance of mental health development in Chinese primary and secondary students. Hence, how to enhance their mental health level has become a severe challenge in Chinese basic education. In July 2021, Chinese government issued the Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of Homework and Off-Campus Training for Compulsory Education Students (often re- ferred to as the Double Reduction policy). As a result of the implementation of the Double Reduction policy, the number of subject-based off-campus training institutions has been significantly reduced, with a 95.6% decrease in offline institutions and 87.1% reduction in online training platforms. This study focuses on the current state of non- subject-based after-school training in the context of the execution of the Double Reduc- tion policy and the impact of the participation in non-subject-based off-campus training on mental health of primary and secondary school students. Research Methods Research Subjects This study conducted a questionnaire investigation simultaneously in the eastern prov- ince of Guangdong, central provinces of Hubei and Hunan, and western provinces of Sichuan and Guizhou by means of stratified sampling and obtained 11340 question- naires, among which 8436 were valid. As “participating in non-subject-based off- campus training or not” is a key factor in the analysis, questionnaires with this critical information missing were eliminated, and ultimately 5973 questionnaires were used in this study. Research Tools The Independent Variable: Participating in non-subject- based off-campus training or not. The Dependent Variables  Depression Two items from the Depression Scale developed by the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) were used to measure students’ depression levels.  State Anxiety It is psychological and physiological transient reactions directly related to adverse situa- tions in a specific moment. Consulted were the State Anxiety Scale from the State-and Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China. BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1700 Trait-Anxiety Scales revised by Zhang (1998) and the Self-rating Inventory of Test Anxiety revised by Wang (1995).  Positive Affect It refers to individuals’ positive attitudes. The Positive and Negative Affect Scales de- veloped by Watson et al. (1988) were consulted. Covariates Individual, family, and school-level covariates were included in the analysis. This study controlled for trait anxiety as a covariate of state anxiety since state anxiety may be af- fected by trait anxiety of the individual. Data Analysis The processes of data analysis included the following: (i) Descriptive statistics were used to present the dependent variables; (ii) Ordinary least square regression was adopt- ed to analyze the relationships between the independent variable and dependent varia- bles; (iii) Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) was used to match the treatment and the control groups, and the balance of the matching was checked; (iv) Iweight was utilized to regress the relationships between the independent variable and dependent variables; (v) Robustness check was conducted on the model. Research Findings  After the launch of the Double Reduction policy, the number of primary and sec- ondary school students participating in non-subject-based off-campus training de- creased slightly, while the time and money investment of the participants in the training basically remained stable.  Participating in non-subject-based off-campus training could significantly relieve the depression of primary school students but had no significant effect on their state anxiety and positive affect. It had no remarkable impact on the depression, state anxiety, and positive affect of junior secondary school students.  Non-subject-based off-campus training could effectively ease the depression and state anxiety of urban students and rural non-left-behind students but had no signif- icant influence on mental health of rural students and left-behind students (children of migrant workers). Fu & Li. (Hubei). Off-Campus Training Improve Student Mental Health in China. BECE, Vol.13, No. 2, 2023 1701 References Fu, X. L., Zhang, K., & Chen, X. F. (2021). Report on National Mental Health Development in China (2019-2020). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China). 2021. Wang, C. K. (1995). The application of the Self-Rating Inventory of Test Anxiety in Secondary School Students and relevant factors. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 3(1):3. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Telegen, A. (1988) Development and Validation of Brief Measures of Positive and Negative Affect: The PANAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6):1063-1070. DOI: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063 Zhang, M. Y. (1998). Psychiatric Evaluation Scale Manual. Changsha: Hunan Science and Technolo- gy Press. 1998. The Chinese version of this article has been published in Journal of Central China Normal Universi- ty (Humanities and Social Sciences), 2023, 62(01):171-180. The English version has been authorized for being publication in BECE by the author(s) and the Chinese journal. 付卫东 & 李伟. “双减”背景下非学科类校外培训能改善中小学生的心理健康状态吗？—基于 东中西部６省３０个县（市、区）的调查 . 华中师范大学学报 (人文社会科学版), 2023, 62(1):171-180 Received: 05 February 2023 Revised: 01 March 2023 Accepted: 10 March 2023 https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063 AR1-WeidongFu-BECE_TitleMarch_2023 AR1-WeidongFu-BECE_MaintextMarch2023