This study assessed the moderating effect of gender on the indirect effects of positive and negative parenting styles on Internet addiction through interpersonal relationship problem. A cross-sectional survey of randomly sampled 1194 college students recruited voluntarily from three universities in China was conducted to assess the variables of positive and negative parenting styles, interpersonal relationship problem, and Internet addiction. Positive parenting style, such as emotional warmth, was a protective factor for the development of Internet addiction, whereas negative parenting style, such as rejection and overprotection, was a potential risk factor for Internet addiction. Furthermore, interpersonal relationship problem completely mediated the association between positive parenting style and Internet addiction but partially mediated the relationship between negative parenting style and Internet addiction. Finally, gender moderated the indirect effect of parenting style on Internet addiction through interpersonal relationship problem. The correlation between positive parenting style and interpersonal relationship problem was considerably weaker among females, whereas the association between interpersonal relationship problem and Internet addiction was much stronger among females. For the prevention and intervention of Internet addiction, it is important to increase positive parenting style for males while enhancing interpersonal skills training for females. Further longitudinal studies should discuss the effects of paternal and maternal parenting styles on Internet addiction.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to improve insomnia in the special environment of a plateau. Methods: This study was a single-center, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. A total of 100 patients with insomnia at high altitude were randomized into three groups receiving either transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation intervention in the left ear tragus (treatment group), pseudo-stimulation intervention (sham group), or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI group). The primary measure was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. In addition, we assessed the patients’ objective sleep status with polysomnography and evaluated changes in the Insomnia Severity Index Scale (ISI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores. We used one-way ANOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA for analysis. Results: Patients’ PSQI, ISI, and GAD-7 scale scores significantly decreased after 4 weeks of tVNS treatment and were greater than those of the control group. Polysomnographic data also demonstrated shortened sleep latency and longer deep sleep in the patients. Conclusion: tVNS is effective in improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety levels in high-altitude insomnia patients but should be confirmed in future adequate and prolonged trials to guide clinical promotion.

Background: The transition from being a victim of traditional bullying to engaging in cyberbullying is an emerging area of research. However, not all adolescents who experience traditional bullying go on to perpetrate cyberbullying. Grounded in the General Aggression Model, this study investigates the longitudinal association between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration, focusing on the underlying mechanisms. Methods: In a longitudinal design, 442 middle school students (49.80% female, Mage = 13.02, SD = 0.85) completed a survey including the Victim Scale, Anger Rumination Scale, Self-Control Scale, and Cyberbullying Scale at baseline enrollment and at six-month follow-up. Results: Key findings include: (1) T1 Traditional bullying victimization did not directly predict later T2 cyberbullying perpetration; (2) T2 Anger rumination mediated the relationship between T1 traditional bullying victimization and T2 cyberbullying perpetration; (3) T1 Self-control moderated the link between T2 anger rumination and T2 cyberbullying perpetration, with stronger association observed in adolescents with lower self-control. Conclusion: These results highlight crucial pathways from traditional bullying victimization to cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents.

There exists an intricate relationship between burnout and sleep disturbances, especially among firefighters. Network analysis offers novel perspectives for understanding the interactions of psychopathological variables. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between burnout and sleep disturbances among firefighters through network analysis. A total of 1,486 Chinese firefighters were included in this study. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) (Chinese version) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess burnout and sleep disturbances among firefighters, respectively. Two network construction methodologies, the regularized partial correlation network (RPCN) and the directed acyclic graph (DAG), were employed to perform network analysis. Within the RPCN, “Subjective sleep quality” emerged as the central domain of firefighters’ burnout and sleep disturbances, as well as “Emotional exhaustion” and “Daytime dysfunction” were influential bridge domains connecting the two. From the results pertaining to the DAG, “Subjective sleep quality” was the activation domain that triggered other burnout and sleep disturbance domains, with sleep disturbances serving as the potential cause of burnout. Our findings offer some enlightenment into further understanding the relationship between burnout and sleep disturbances in firefighters. Furthermore, the aforementioned central, bridge, and activation domains may be potential targets for prevention and intervention.

Internet addiction has emerged as a significant mental health issue among university students. The study aimed to compare the network structures of Internet addiction and mental health symptoms among university students in China and Malawi, which provide insights into culturally sensitive prevention and intervention strategies. Network analysis was used on two datasets: Malawi (n = 688) and China (n = 975) using the Internet Addiction Test and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. Network estimation, centrality, bridge estimation and network comparison, were conducted using R software. The prevalence of internet addiction and mental health was significantly higher in China than Malawi. In Malawi, the strongest edges were “school work” - “job performance” and “worthless” - “unable to play a useful part”. The central nodes were “daily work suffering”, “fantasize” and “lost interest”. In China, the strongest edges were “neglect household” - “neglect partner” and “difficult to enjoy” - “daily work suffering”. The central nodes were “trouble thinking”, “unhappiness”, and “unable to play a useful part”. Bridge symptoms varied between the countries, with functional impairments (school work, daily work suffering and difficult to make decision) being more prominent in Malawi and emotional disturbances (daily work suffering, act annoyed and difficult to enjoy) in China. The study highlights significant differences in the network structures of internet addiction and mental health between China and Malawi, which underscore the importance of culturally sensitive mental health interventions. In Malawi, addressing functional impairments related to academic and work performance is crucial, while in China, interventions should focus on emotional and relational aspects.

Firefighters have a greater prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of their greater risk of exposure to traumatic events. Network analysis offers novel perspectives for understanding PTSD. However, most previous network analysis studies were cross-sectional and failed to reveal the dynamics and causality of PTSD symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the longitudinal development of and causal relationships among PTSD symptoms in firefighters. Two survey waves were conducted among 637 Chinese male firefighters: in April 2021 (baseline) and March 2023 (follow-up). We constructed two cross-sectional networks and one longitudinal cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) of PTSD symptoms. By comparing the two cross-sectional networks, we found that the central symptoms of PTSD changed over time, with central symptoms scattered across different dimensions at baseline and focused on the avoidance dimension at follow-up. The CLPN revealed causal relationships among PTSD symptoms and showed that irritability and nightmares significantly predicted other PTSD symptoms from baseline to follow-up. In summary, our study fills a gap in the longitudinal development of and causal relationships among PTSD symptoms in firefighters and provides potential targets for subsequent prevention and intervention.