Depression is one of the most common psychological problems in adolescence. Familial and school-related factors are closely related to adolescents’ depression, but their combined effects need further examination. The purpose of this study was to explore the combined effects of risk/protective factors of depression in family and school domains using a sample of Chinese adolescents differing in gender, age group and left-behind status. A total of 2455 Chinese students in primary and secondary school participated in the cross-sectional survey and reported multiple risk/protective factors in family and school environments and depressive symptoms. Association rule mining, a machine learning method, was used in the data analyses to identify the correlation between risk/protective factor combinations and depression. We found that (1) Family cohesion, family conflict, peer support, and teacher support emerged as the strongest factors associated with adolescent depression; (2) The combination of these aforementioned factors further strengthened their association with depression; (3) Female gender, middle school students, and family socioeconomic disadvantages attenuated the protective effects of positive relational factors while exacerbating the deleterious effects of negative relational factors; (4) For individuals at risk, lack of mental health education resources at school intensified the negative impact; (5) The risk and protective factors of depression varied according to gender, age stage and left-behind status. In conclusion, the findings shed light on the identification of high-risk adolescents for depression and underscore the importance of tailored programs targeting specific subgroups based on gender, age, or left-behind status.

The increasing prevalence of sleep disorders among university students should be taken seriously. Group counseling involving a mindfulness-based strategy may help prevent students from developing insomnia and subsequent mental health disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorating effects of a mindfulness-based group intervention on sleep problems and emotional symptoms in university students in China. Twenty-one university students (16 females, 22.71 ± 4.28 years) who were not on medication were recruited and assigned to the intervention group based on the criterion of high levels of sleep problems. Additionally, twenty-four university students (19 females, 24.50 ± 0.93 years) were included as a nonrandomized control group. Individuals in the intervention group participated in a two-hour group intervention once a week for eight sessions. All participants completed self-reported questionnaire baseline tests, postintervention tests, and one-month follow-ups on mindfulness, sleep quality, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed. The results revealed significant intervention effects, with significant differences observed between the two groups in mindfulness and sleep quality. However, there was no significant effect of the intervention on anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention in addressing sleep problems in university students.

Purpose: This cross-sectional, observational study assessed physical, psychological and behavioral factors related to patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) using Axis II assessment instruments with diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) and investigated the correlations among oral behavior, pain, and psychological distress in patients with temporomandibular disorders.Methods: Participants were recruited from the Department of TMD at the authors’ hospital. The TMD group comprised 96 patients (27 males and 69 females; mean age 39.10 ± 10.83 years), stratified into three clinical subgroups based on primary symptoms: myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS; subgroup 1), internal derangement (subgroup 2), and osteoarthritis (subgroup 3). The control group consisted of 111 individuals (42 males and 69 females; mean age 35.05 ± 7.94 years) with no history of TMD. Demographic information, oral behaviors, pain, and psychological outcomes of the TMD group were assessed using self-report questionnaires according to the diagnostic criteria of axial II. The non-TMD group was evaluated using similar instruments except for pain and jaw functional limitations.Results: Compared with the non-TMD group, the TMD group presented significantly greater levels of unhealthy oral behaviors and psychological outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms. Within the TMD group, participants diagnosed with MPDS were found to have more psychological symptoms than those diagnosed with internal derangement and osteoarthritis. The psychological outcomes of patients with TMD were shown to be significantly positively correlated with their pain status and oral behaviors (rs = 0.23 ~ 0.52). The indirect effect of chronic pain was found to be significant in the relationships between oral behaviors and psychological outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms.Conclusion: Oral behaviors and chronic pain were closely associated with psychosocial distress among patients with TMD. The effect of oral behavior on psychological distress is exerted indirectly through chronic pain. This study contributes to the conceptual framework for the development of individualized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with TMD.

Background: Previous studies have found that adolescents’ depressive symptoms are influenced by social networks in a stressful context, especially focusing on the processes of social selection and social influence. The current study aimed to explore the coevolution of sociometric popularity and depressive symptoms among adolescents suffering from the stress attached to the Chinese gaokao. Methods: The analytical sample comprised 1062 Chinese adolescents who were under significant pressure to return to school for an additional year (returnees) to prepare for college entrance examinations. Students were assessed for depressive symptoms and asked to nominate up to five friends within their classes across four waves (six months). We employed stochastic actor-oriented models to investigate the interdependent relationships between popularity and depressive symptoms. Results: Adolescents’ depressive symptoms negatively predicted future friendship popularity in this stressful situation, but not vice versa. The results of this study also highlighted the importance of friends’ popularity, indicating that adolescents who nominated popular peers as friends tended to subsequently have lower depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These findings suggested that friends’ popularity may serve as a protective factor against depressive symptoms under major chronic stress. Network-based interventions may have practical implications for reducing depressive symptoms under major chronic stress.

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between multiple risk exposures in family and school settings and the depressive symptoms of Chinese students in early adolescence living in the ethnic regions of Yunnan and Hebei, China, via different multiple risk analytic approaches. A total of 2940 students (47.3% females) in grades 4 to 9 (Mage = 12.08, SD = 2.04) from ethnic minority counties in Yunnan and Hebei participated in the survey. The participants completed the questionnaires and reported family risk, school risk, depressive symptoms, and demographic information. The cumulative risk model and the individual multiple risk models with logistic regression/association rule mining were used to examine the effects of cumulative risk, the relative contributions of individual risks, and combinations of multiple risks. We found that (1) when a cumulative risk model was used, the associations between family cumulative risk and school cumulative risk on depressive symptoms were significant, but the cross-domain interaction effect was not significant. (2) The results of logistic regression indicated that high levels of family conflict, low levels of family cohesion, low levels of teacher support, and low levels of peer support were significantly correlated with a high risk for depression. (3) The results of association rule mining revealed meaningful associations between multiple risk factor combinations and depressive symptoms. In conclusion, the use of association rule mining enhanced the analyses and understanding of the effects of multiple risk exposures. Interpersonal stressors in family and school settings need to be addressed in depression prevention and intervention programs for adolescents.

Research shows peer networks are crucial in early adolescence, but few studies have examined their structural heterogeneity, links with personality, and mental health implications. This study identified latent profiles of peer network structures among Chinese adolescents and examined their associations with personality and mental health. Data were collected from 340 junior high school students (50% female) across four waves. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed using a set of network indicators: indegree, outdegree, centrality, density, and reciprocity. Three distinct profiles emerged in early adolescence: restricted networks (50%; low across indicators), clique-like networks (12.5%; low indegree/outdegree, high density/reciprocity), and extensive networks (37.5%; high indegree/outdegree, low density and moderate reciprocity). Adolescents in extensive networks reported the highest levels of perceived social support and the lowest levels of depressive symptoms contemporaneously, whereas those in clique-like networks showed no similar benefit. Specific personality traits were found to predict profile membership. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of adolescent peer networks and provide a framework for understanding social influences in early adolescence, with implications for mental health interventions.