Network analysis of comorbid depression and anxiety and their associations with academic engagement among medical students in the Post-Peak Covid-19 period in China

Bibliographic Data

ID15696282
AuthorsChangqing Sun (0000-0001-5509-9237), Sun Changqing (Zhengzhou University, corresponding author), Jiale Han (0009-0007-7327-4255, Zhengzhou University), Zhengqi Zhu (Zhengzhou University), Qiang Zhang (0000-0003-4613-3100, Zhengzhou University), Panpan Wang (0000-0003-3680-314X, Zhengzhou University), Peijia Zhang (0000-0002-4395-9575), Ying Qin (0000-0003-2683-206X, Zhengzhou University), Li Yang (0000-0003-3852-3651, Zhengzhou University), Yang Li (0000-0002-2835-6661), Wei Xue (0000-0002-4942-7748), Xue Wen (0000-0002-8503-5960, Zhengzhou University), Dequan Sun (Zhengzhou University), Zizheng Liu (Zhengzhou University), Lianke Wang (0000-0002-5011-7552)
Year2025
Volume13
Issue1
Pages838-838
Publication date2025-07-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMC Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2050-7283 • E-ISSN: 2050-7283
PublisherBioMed Central (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1186/s40359-025-03181-2
PMID40713767
OpenAlexW4412656448
LanguageEN
References cited73

Medical students frequently face mental health challenges, underscoring the need for prompt identification and intervention. This research is designed to explore the interconnections between depression, anxiety, and academic engagement among medical students in the Post-Peak COVID-19 in China, employing a network analysis approach. In this research, 928 medical students were enrolled. Depression, anxiety, and academic engagement were measured using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students, respectively. Central and bridge symptoms were evaluated by the Expected Influence (EI) and bridge EI. The Network Comparison Test was utilized to assess the variability in depression and anxiety symptom associations across gender and residency. In the depression and anxiety network, “Fatigue”, “Guilt”, and “Difficulty relaxing” were the central symptoms. “Sad mood”, “Irritability”, and “Feeling afraid” served as the primary bridge symptoms. “Concentration”, “Anhedonia” and “Motor” exhibited the most robust correlations with academic engagement. Gender and residency did not correlate with global strength and edge weights. The findings showed the complex interplay between depression, anxiety, and academic engagement during the Post-Peak COVID-19 period among Chinese medical students. Future interventions should focus on addressing the central and bridge symptoms within medical students, aiming to improve their mental health outcomes

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Anxiety · China · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Depression (economics · Disease · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Medical psychology · MEDLINE · Pandemic · Period (music · Psychiatry · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Functional Brain Connectivity Studies · History · Medicine · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychology · Virology

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