Childhood maltreatment and somatic, depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents: A network analysis

Objective

This study applied network analysis to identify central and bridging nodes linking somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms with childhood maltreatment among male and female adolescents.

Background

Adolescents, particularly those with a history of childhood maltreatment, are at an elevated risk for somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. However, the complex interactions between these symptoms and maltreatment, as well as the potential influence of gender, remain unclear.

Participants and setting

A multi-stage cluster sampling strategy was employed to conduct a questionnaire-based survey on childhood maltreatment, mental health, and somatic symptoms among 10,653 Chinese adolescents in 2023.

Methods

Network analysis was conducted utilizing the qgraph package in R Studio to identify central nodes and bridge nodes.

Results

No significant gender-based differences were observed in the network structure or overall network strength. Both males and females exhibited common central nodes—headaches, tired or low energy and emotional abuse—that were central to connecting childhood maltreatment and somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sleep disturbance, and trouble sleeping were identified as shared bridge nodes, serving as crucial connectors in the networks.

Conclusions

Central nodes such as headaches, tired or low energy and emotional abuse, along with bridge nodes like emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sleep disturbance, and trouble sleeping, emerge as critical elements. These nodes provide valuable insights for public health and represent potential intervention targets to reduce the mental and physical health burden in adolescents.