Zhuang Xiaoyu, Chan Chun Pong, Yang Xue
Department of Social Work, Academy of Wellness and Human Development, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Institute for Research and Continuing Education of Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen, China.
Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
Soc Sci Med. 2025 Jan;365:117628. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117628. Epub 2024 Dec 11.
Anchoring in the socio-ecological framework and the differential impact theory, the present study pioneered to explore the differential network structures of multilevel risk and protective factors that influence depression among Chinese urban and rural adolescents.
A sample of 684 urban adolescents and 1123 rural adolescents completed a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring their depressive symptoms, as well as risk and protective factors at intrapersonal (psychological flexibility, emotion regulation), interpersonal (social support, parental control), and social levels (social capital, stressful life events).
Central risk and protective factors in both groups included psychological flexibility, which bridged intrapersonal, interpersonal and social resources, along with social support, social capital, rumination, catastrophizing, and self-blame. Network comparison tests revealed significant differences in the global strength and network structures between the two groups. Rural adolescents showed denser connections between positive refocusing - rumination, positive refocusing - other-blame, refocusing on planning - self-blame, and family support - self-blame, while urban adolescents showed a stronger relationship between rumination - blaming others - depression. Rural adolescents uniquely benefited from a protective loop of reappraisal - social satisfaction - depression.
The findings suggest both beneficial and trade-off effects of a denser psychosocial network in adolescents growing up in a high-risk environment. Such results imply that only increasing the number of protective factors (e.g., social resources) may not be sufficient; instead, practical strategies that can neutralize the drawbacks of protective mechanisms may serve as critical strategies in promoting the socio-ecological well-being of adolescents in China and elsewhere.
基于社会生态框架和差异影响理论，本研究率先探索影响中国城乡青少年抑郁的多层次风险和保护因素的差异网络结构。
684名城市青少年和1123名农村青少年组成的样本完成了一系列自我报告问卷，测量他们的抑郁症状以及个人层面（心理灵活性、情绪调节）、人际层面（社会支持、父母控制）和社会层面（社会资本、应激性生活事件）的风险和保护因素。
两组中的核心风险和保护因素包括心理灵活性，它连接了个人、人际和社会资源，以及社会支持、社会资本、沉思、灾难化思维和自责。网络比较测试显示两组在整体强度和网络结构上存在显著差异。农村青少年在积极重新聚焦 - 沉思、积极重新聚焦 - 责备他人、专注于计划 - 自责以及家庭支持 - 自责之间的联系更为紧密，而城市青少年在沉思 - 责备他人 - 抑郁之间的关系更强。农村青少年独特地受益于重新评估 - 社会满意度 - 抑郁的保护循环。
研究结果表明，在高风险环境中成长的青少年，更密集的心理社会网络既有有益影响，也有权衡效应。这些结果意味着仅增加保护因素（如社会资源）的数量可能并不足够；相反，能够抵消保护机制弊端的实用策略可能是促进中国及其他地区青少年社会生态福祉的关键策略。
