A scoping review of 27 articles found that 'Tang ping' is closely associated with mental health through accumulated stress, perceived loss of control, and effort-reward imbalance, and represents not a single behavioral pattern but a continuum of coping mechanisms for social stress.
Key Findings
Methods
The scoping review identified 27 eligible articles from an initial pool of 973 articles on 'Tang ping' and mental health.
Databases searched included China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Google Scholar, and Scopus.
The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance framework combined with the Population, Interest, and Context (PICo) framework.
The review process included identification, screening, and eligibility stages.
973 total articles were identified before screening and eligibility assessment reduced the final sample to 27 articles.
Results
'Tang ping' is not a single behavioral pattern but rather a continuum of coping mechanisms for social stress.
The review found that 'Tang ping' encompasses a range of behaviors rather than one discrete phenomenon.
The phenomenon is characterized as a response to social stress among Chinese youth.
Both students and youth workers were represented in the reviewed literature, highlighting different social contexts.
Results
Mental health outcomes associated with 'Tang ping' include both negative and positive dimensions.
Negative mental health outcomes included anxiety, depression, and emotional problems, which were described as the most common outcomes.
Positive dimensions included stress relief and emotional regulation.
The coexistence of negative and positive outcomes suggests 'Tang ping' serves a dual psychological function.
Results
Social context influenced 'Tang ping' behaviors differently among students compared to youth workers.
Differences between students and youth workers were highlighted in the reviewed literature.
The influence of social context was identified as a key moderating factor in 'Tang ping' expression and mental health outcomes.
This distinction suggests that occupational and educational environments shape the manifestation of 'Tang ping'.
Conclusions
'Tang ping' is closely associated with mental health through accumulated stress, perceived loss of control, and effort-reward imbalance.
Three primary psychological mechanisms linking 'Tang ping' to mental health were identified: accumulated stress, perceived loss of control, and effort-reward imbalance.
These mechanisms provide a structured theoretical foundation for understanding the phenomenon.
The review lays a structured foundation for future research in this emerging field.
Ren X, Abdullah H, Shaffril H, Rahman H, Zaremohzzabieh Z. (2026). A scoping review of "Tang ping" (Lying flat) and mental health status among Chinese youth.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0342591