Network analysis of the relationship of bullying victimization with anxiety and depressive symptoms among adolescent
10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025290
- VernacularTitle:青少年受欺凌经历与焦虑抑郁症状关系的网络分析
- Author:
XIONG Yuxiang, PAN Shuibo, LIN Jinfeng, WEI Qiaoyue, WU Junduan
1
Author Information
1. School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Violence;
Anxiety;
Depression;
Mental health;
Adolescent
- From:
Chinese Journal of School Health
2025;46(10):1376-1380
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To identify the core symptoms and bridge symptoms in the network structure among adolescents bullying victimization, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and to explore the interrelationships among these three variables, so as to provide a basis for the precise prevention of bullying behaviors and the improvement of adolescents psychological health conditions.
Methods:From October to November 2023, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 4 759 middle and high school students from four cities in Guangxi: Beihai, Guigang, Hechi, and Laibin. The Chinese version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) was used to assess bullying victimization among adolescents, while the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were utilized to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. The Bootnet package (version 1.6) in R software (version 4.4.1) was used to construct a network structure and analyze the associations between bullying victimization, anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms among adolescents.
Results:The reporting rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and bullying victimization among adolescents in Guangxi were 24.67%, 16.33%, and 16.58%, respectively. Network analysis revealed that the node with the highest expected influence was "property being taken or damaged", with a standardized expected influence (EI) index of 2.09. The top two nodes in terms of bridge expected influence were "thoughts of self harm or suicide" and "irritability", with standardized bridge expected influence (BEI) indices of 2.15 and 1.27, respectively. The stronger associations were observed between the node "property being taken or damaged" and the nodes "physical attacks such as hitting, kicking, pushing, or shoving" and "ridiculed due to accent", with edge weights of 0.43 and 0.35, respectively.
Conclusion:Targeting preventive measures against the symptoms with the highest expected influence and bridge expected influence in the network of bullying victimization, anxiety and depressive symptoms among adolescents may be an effective approach to reduce the negative impact of bullying victimization, anxiety and depressive symptoms on adolescents.
