Comparison of mental health networks across different educational stages

Mental health concerns are growing more prevalent among students of school age. This study employed network analysis to view mental health problems as a network of interconnected symptoms, and to compare how these networks vary across different stages of school age. A sum of 60, 465 Chinese students in Grades 4 through 12 were selected to participate in the Middle School Student Mental Health Inventory (MMHI-60). The mental health network and bridge centrality were assessed through network analysis. Network comparison tests were performed to compare the networks among elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. 12.2% of elementary school students, 22.1% of junior high school students, and 24.9% of senior high school students exceeded the threshold for overall mental health issues as defined by the MMHI-60. The network analysis indicated that anxiety emerged consistently as a central dimension of mental health issues across all educational levels; paranoid ideation was prevalent in both junior and senior high school, whereas emotional disturbance was particularly characteristic of elementary school. Upon comparing the network structures, it was found that the mental health network connectivity was more pronounced among senior high school students, indicating closer associations between dimensions in this group. Identifying core mental health dimensions and their unique connections in school-aged students at each stage, especially the strong links between dimensions in senior high school students, is crucial for creating successful mental health dimension prevention and intervention strategies for students in educational settings.