TY - JOUR
T1 - Network analysis of depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents during the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Cai, Hong
AU - Bai, Wei
AU - Liu, Huanzhong
AU - Chen, Xu
AU - Qi, Han
AU - Liu, Rui
AU - Cheung, Teris
AU - Su, Zhaohui
AU - Lin, Jingxia
AU - Tang, Yi lang
AU - Jackson, Todd
AU - Zhang, Qinge
AU - Xiang, Yu Tao
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was supported by the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (Grant No.: Z181100001718124), Beijing Talents Foundation (Grant No.: 2017000021469G222), and the University of Macau (MYRG2019-00066-FHS).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Network analysis is an effective approach for examining complex relationships between psychiatric symptoms. This study was designed to examine item-level relationships between depressive and anxiety symptoms using network analysis in an adolescent sample and identified the most central symptoms within the depressive-anxiety symptoms network model. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), respectively. The structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms was characterized using “Strength” and “Bridge Strength” as centrality indices in the symptom network. Network stability was tested using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Finally, a Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to examine whether network characteristics differed on the basis of gender, school grade and residence. Network analysis revealed that nodes PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), GAD6 (“Irritability”), GAD3 (“Worry too much”), and PHQ6 (“Guilty”) were central symptoms in the network model of adolescents. Additionally, bridge symptoms linking anxiety and depressive symptoms in this sample were nodes PHQ6 (“Guilty”), PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), and PHQ9 (“Suicide ideation”). Gender, school grade and residence did not significantly affect the network structure. Central symptoms (e.g., Sad mood, Irritability, Worry too much, and Guilty) and key bridge symptoms (e.g., Guilty, Sad mood, and Suicide ideation) in the depressive and anxiety symptoms network may be useful as potential targets for intervention among adolescents who are at risk for or suffer from depressive and anxiety symptoms.
AB - Network analysis is an effective approach for examining complex relationships between psychiatric symptoms. This study was designed to examine item-level relationships between depressive and anxiety symptoms using network analysis in an adolescent sample and identified the most central symptoms within the depressive-anxiety symptoms network model. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), respectively. The structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms was characterized using “Strength” and “Bridge Strength” as centrality indices in the symptom network. Network stability was tested using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Finally, a Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to examine whether network characteristics differed on the basis of gender, school grade and residence. Network analysis revealed that nodes PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), GAD6 (“Irritability”), GAD3 (“Worry too much”), and PHQ6 (“Guilty”) were central symptoms in the network model of adolescents. Additionally, bridge symptoms linking anxiety and depressive symptoms in this sample were nodes PHQ6 (“Guilty”), PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), and PHQ9 (“Suicide ideation”). Gender, school grade and residence did not significantly affect the network structure. Central symptoms (e.g., Sad mood, Irritability, Worry too much, and Guilty) and key bridge symptoms (e.g., Guilty, Sad mood, and Suicide ideation) in the depressive and anxiety symptoms network may be useful as potential targets for intervention among adolescents who are at risk for or suffer from depressive and anxiety symptoms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126254695&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41398-022-01838-9
DO - 10.1038/s41398-022-01838-9
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35273161
AN - SCOPUS:85126254695
SN - 2158-3188
VL - 12
JO - Translational Psychiatry
JF - Translational Psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - 98
ER -