J Affect Disord. 2026 Feb 1;394(Pt A):120557. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120557. Epub 2025 Oct 24.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents and the crucial role of community context as outlined by the social-ecological model, this study aimed to identify potential patterns of community environment among Chinese adolescents and to further examine its association with the developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms.
METHODS: Data were derived from three waves of the Students’ Mental Health Network project. Totally, 2098 participants who completed all follow-up assessments were included in the analysis. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) was employed to identify longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms, while latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify potential patterns of community environment. Multinomial logistic regression was subsequently used to examine the association between community environment and depressive symptom trajectories.
RESULTS: GMM identified four distinct depressive symptom trajectories, concurrently, LCA revealed four patterns of community environment. The results of the multinomial logistic regression indicated that adolescents residing in communities characterized by good social environment but poor social life, as well as those in overall poor community environments, were more likely to follow less favorable symptom trajectories.
LIMITATIONS: The omission of school-related experiences, such as peer relationships, may limit the comprehensiveness of the observed associations.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the significant influence of community environment, particularly the quality of social life, on adolescent mental health. Interventions that promote community support and foster stronger connections with neighbors may help prevent the progression of depressive symptoms during adolescence.
PMID:41284542 | DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2025.120557
