Exploring the relationship between negative life events and emotional symptoms in adolescents using a network analysis

This study used network analysis to explore the association between negative life events and emotional symptoms in Chinese adolescents, with a focus on depression, anxiety, and their comorbid mechanisms. The Adolescent Self-Reporting Life Events Scale (ASLES), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used to assess 1083 adolescents. Based on the data, three networks were constructed: the negative life events-depression network, the negative life events-anxiety network, and a integrated negative life events-depression-anxiety network. In the depression network, "Depressive mood," "Sadness," and "People dislike me" were core nodes, reflecting emotional and social sensitivity. In the anxiety network, "Panic," "Fear," and "Dizziness" emerged as core nodes, highlighting the role of physiological responses. The integrated network identified "Depressed mood" and "Panic" as key nodes, revealing the overlap and interaction between depression and anxiety. "Academic stress" and "Interpersonal relationships" were consistent bridge nodes across networks, linking negative life events to emotional symptoms and contributing to comorbid mechanisms. These findings suggest that targeting core symptoms and bridge nodes may reduce depression, anxiety, and their comorbidities. This study provides insights into adolescent emotional symptom networks, supporting targeted and comprehensive interventions.