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BMC Psychiatry

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Open Access 01-12-2021 | Mood Disorders | Research

Network analysis of the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in the left-behind children

Authors: Kuiliang Li, Yu Guang, Lei Ren, Xiaoqing Zhan, Xuejiao Tan, Xi Luo, Zhengzhi Feng

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2021

Abstract

Background

There are 68.77 million left-behind children in China, who are at a great risk of depression associated with negative life events. Our study aims to investigate the most central symptoms of depression in left-behind children and the relationship between depressive symptoms and negative life events using network analysis.

Method

A cross-sectional data set (N = 7255) was used, which included children and adolescents aged 7 to 17. Network analysis was used to evaluate: 1) the most central symptoms among the items included in Child Depression Inventory (CDI) of the left-behind children; 2) bridge symptoms between depressive disorder and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC) of the left-behind children; 3) differences in networks of depressive disorders between left-behind and non-left-behind children, and 4) differences in the network of depression and negative life events between left-behind and non-left-behind children. The stability and centrality indices of the network were also evaluated in the study.

Results

The most central symptoms in the CDI among the left-behind children included self-hatred, crying, fatigue, and sadness. The items with the highest bridge strength centrality in the CDI-ASLEC network included academic stress, discrimination, and school performance decrement. Higher bridge strength values indicate a greater risk of contagion to other communities. The connections in the CDI-ASLEC network are denser in the left-behind children than in non-left-behind children.

Limitations

The study which was conducted based on cross-sectional data shows that network analysis can only make undirected estimation, but not causal inferences.

Conclusions

We identified the core symptoms of depression and the bridge symptoms between negative life events and depression in the left-behind children. These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to self-hatred, sadness, and fatigue in the treatment of depression in left-behind children. Intervention for academic stress and discrimination of the left-behind children may help to reduce the contagion of negative life events to depression symptoms.

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Title: Network analysis of the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in the left-behind children
Authors: Kuiliang Li
Yu Guang
Lei Ren
Xiaoqing Zhan
Xuejiao Tan
Xi Luo
Zhengzhi Feng
Publication date: 01-12-2021
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Mood Disorders
Affective Disorder
Published in: BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03445-2

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Network analysis of the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in the left-behind children

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Limitations

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Limitations

Conclusions

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