Xiaocui Zhang

Dr. Xiaocui Zhang


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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25 April 2024 in BMC Psychology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
HLHui Lei
Hui Lei
YYYanci Yang
Yanci Yang
TZTing Zhu
Ting Zhu
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
JDJunhua Dang
Junhua Dang
Background: Non-suicidal self-injury seriously harm the physical and mental health of adolescents. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between non-suicide self-injury, depression, and childhood trauma from the perspective of symptoms in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four junior high middle schools and collected 2640 valid questionnaires. There were 1329 male students and 1311 female students. The age of the participants ranged from 11 to 17 years old, with a mean age of 13.3 (± 0.94) years. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were assessed using the Adolescent Self-Harm Scale, the Childhood Depression Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, respectively. A network analysis was performed. Results: In the network, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma were closely related. Negative self-esteem in the depressive symptoms and emotional abuse in childhood were the most central nodes. Negative self-esteem and negative mood were directly connected to NSSI, other nodes of depressive symptoms appeared to be indirectly connected to NSSI through these two nodes. Emotional abuse was the only node in childhood trauma categories directly connected to NSSI. Nodes of other categories of childhood trauma (physical neglect, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) were indirectly connected to NSSI through emotional abuse. Conclusions: NSSI, depression, and childhood trauma of teenagers were closely related. Individuals who have suffered emotional abuse in childhood were more likely to have depressive symptoms and NSSI. Improving negative self-esteem and negative emotions and reducing emotional abuse may be beneficial in alleviating depression and reducing NSSI in adolescents.

15 May 2024 in Frontiers in Public Health
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
HLHui Lei
Hui Lei
JXJingru Xiong
Jingru Xiong
YRYuling Rao
Yuling Rao
TZTing Zhu
Ting Zhu
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
Objective: Non-suicidal self-injury is a widespread mental health concern among adolescents. This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-esteem, depression, and self-injury among adolescents using a longitudinal research design.Methods: The Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Child Depression Inventory (CDI), and Adolescent Self-Injury Scale (ASIS) were used to follow up 1,265 junior middle school students on three occasions with six-month intervals.Results: At all three time points, there were significant gender differences in self-esteem, depression, and self-injury. Self-esteem was negatively correlated with depression and self-injury at all three time points, while depression and self-injury were significantly positively correlated. Cross-lagged analysis revealed that self-esteem at Time 1 (T1) did not significantly predict self-injury at Time 2 (T2), but self-esteem (T2) significantly predicted self-injury at Time 3 (T3; β = −0.079, p < 0.05). Similarly, self-injury (T1) significantly predicted self-esteem (T2; β = −0.140, p < 0.001), and self-injury (T2) significantly predicted self-esteem (T3; β = −0.071, p < 0.01). Horizontal and longitudinal mediating analysis showed that depression served as a complete mediator in both the pathway from self-esteem to self-injury and from self-injury to self-esteem. Cross-lagged analysis showed that self-esteem (T1) significantly predicts depression (T2; β = −0.070, p < 0.05), which in turn predict self-injury (T3; β = 0.126, p < 0.001). Similarly, self-injury (T1) predicted depression (T2; β = 0.055, p < 0.05), which further predicted self-esteem (T3; β = −0.218, p < 0.001).Conclusion: The self-esteem, depression, and self-injury of adolescents are closely related; self-esteem and self-injury predict each other; self-esteem indirectly affects self-injury through depression; and self-injury indirectly affects self-esteem through depression. Based on the relationship of bi-directional prediction of self-esteem and self-injury mediated by depression, this study proposes a theoretical model of depression-mediated self-esteem and self-injury cycle.

19 May 2023 in Brain Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
QWQianying Wu
Qianying Wu
HLHui Lei
Hui Lei
TMTianxin Mao
Tianxin Mao
YDYao Deng
Yao Deng
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
HRHengyi Rao
Hengyi Rao
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with graph theoretical modeling has been increasingly applied for assessing whole brain network topological organization, yet its reproducibility remains controversial. In this study, we acquired three repeated resting-state fMRI scans from 16 healthy controls during a strictly controlled in-laboratory study and examined the test-retest reliability of seven global and three nodal brain network metrics using different data processing and modeling strategies. Among the global network metrics, the characteristic path length exhibited the highest reliability, whereas the network small-worldness performed the poorest. Nodal efficiency was the most reliable nodal metric, whereas betweenness centrality showed the lowest reliability. Weighted global network metrics provided better reliability than binary metrics, and reliability from the AAL90 atlas outweighed those from the Power264 parcellation. Although global signal regression had no consistent effects on the reliability of global network metrics, it slightly impaired the reliability of nodal metrics. These findings provide important implications for the future utility of graph theoretical modeling in brain network analyses.

7 September 2022 in Biological Psychiatry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
XWXiang Wang
Xiang Wang
DDDaifeng Dong
Daifeng Dong
XSXiaoqiang Sun
Xiaoqiang Sun
XZXue Zhong
Xue Zhong
HRHengyi Rao
Hengyi Rao

5 July 2022 in Frontiers in Public Health
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
HLHui Lei
Hui Lei
YHYaqing Huang
Yaqing Huang
YCYa Chai
Ya Chai
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
Objective: With the widespread use of social media, excessive use of social media may lead to problematic behaviors such as social media disorder, which has a negative impact on teenagers' mental health. Thus, it is an urgent need to provide a measurement tool to assess social media addiction in different cultures. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of 27-item Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale (developed using the diagnostic criteria of DSM-V Internet Gaming Disorder) in college students, and to verify its impact on mental health.Methods: Two online surveys were conducted among a total of 1,539 Chinese college students, including 1,316 subjects in sample 1 and 223 subjects in sample 2. The discrimination, criterion validity, construct validity and reliability of the Chinese version of SMD-27 scale were examined.Results: The Chinese version of SMD-27 scale showed excellent psychometric properties. The item-total correlation coefficients of the scale ranged from 0.31 to 0.56, and the item-dimension correlations of the scale ranged from 0.459 to 0.834. Findings from confirmatory factor analysis indicated a great fit of the model of the Chinese version of SMD-27, with CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.036 in sample one and CFI = 0.970, TLI = 0.967, RMSEA = 0.040 in sample two, thus confirming the second-order factor structure of the scale. The SMD-27 scale showed good internal consistency between two different samples with their respective Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 and 0.92, and good test-retest reliability over a period of 1 month. In addition, multiple regression results generally supported the impact of social media addiction on mental health.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the Chinese version of SMD-27 scale is applicable to Chinese college populations, and it is a promising tool for the study of social media addiction in China.

28 January 2025
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
XZXiaocui Zhang
Xiaocui Zhang
TZTing Zhu
Ting Zhu
HLHui Lei
Hui Lei
QDQijian Deng
Qijian Deng
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common mental health and behavioral issue among adolescents. This study aims to investigate the developmental trajectory of adolescent NSSI and gender differences, providing a foundation for better prevention and intervention. A longitudinal study was conducted using the Adolescent Self-Injury Scale (ASIS) in a cohort of 1 042 junior high school students from 3 middle schools in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province. Participants were surveyed 3 times at 6-month intervals. A latent growth curve model was constructed using Mplus8.0 to examine the development trajectory of NSSI, and multi-group comparisons were used to assess gender differences. Detection rates of NSSI at the 3 time points were 43.95%, 44.43%, and 38.36%, respectively. Mean of the intercept factor of the LGCM for adolescent NSSI behavior was 9.540 (P<0.001), and the mean slope was -2.297 (P<0.001). Both the variances of the intercept (σ2=169.431, P<0.001) and slope (σ2=141.981, P<0.001) were significant, with a significant negative correlation between intercept and slope (r=-0.559, P0.05). NSSI is relatively prevalent among adolescents, with female adolescents experiencing more severe NSSI. Individual differences exist in both the initial level and rate of change of NSSI, and overall, adolescent NSSI shows a decreasing trend over time. No significant gender differences were found in the trajectory of change.