Effective targets of intervention on generalized anxiety symptoms across whole adolescence and emerging adulthood: network analysis and insilico intervention.

Abstract

Early-onset generalized anxiety symptoms have severe impacts on youth development. Age differences in anxiety symptoms are obscure. Effective intervention targets need further investigation. Adolescents and emerging adults (N = 65,048; 10-24 years; 50.63% female; M_age = 15.78, SD = 3.62) reported generalized anxiety symptoms and demographic information. They were divided into four subgroups: early adolescence (10-12 years), middle adolescence (13-15 years), late adolescence (16-18 years), and emerging adulthood (19-24 years) according to their developmental stages. Network analysis was used to compare age differences in symptom roles between subgroups. In silico intervention (i.e., computer simulation-based intervention) was employed to disclose the intervention targets (i.e., treatment and prevention targets) and efficacy of symptom-specific interventions within dynamic network systems. Network comparison tests indicated that the involvement of anxiety symptoms in networks varied with developmental stages, particularly between early and middle adolescence. In silico intervention revealed that nervousness was the most effective treatment target to alleviate network state in all subgroups. Excessive worry in early adolescence and uncontrollable worry from middle adolescence to emerging adulthood emerged as the most effective prevention targets. The current study highlights the importance of middle adolescence as a crucial phase for preventive intervention and emphasizes the need for differentiated prevention and treatment strategies for particular populations.