Latent profile and network analysis of anxiety and depressive symptoms among teachers

National development relies on talent cultivation, and teachers play an indispensable role, it is crucial to note that teachers' emotional states affect teaching quality and talent development. Teachers are at a high-risk group for anxiety and depressive symptoms. Previous studies often treat teachers as a homogeneous group, overlooking the potential heterogeneity in their symptoms. This study aims to identify the latent profiles of anxiety and depression among teachers, pinpoint core symptoms within each subgroup, and examine gender differences in key groups.

A total of 57,535 teachers were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. The research involved three steps: (1) classifying teachers' anxiety and depressive symptoms through latent profile analysis. (2) using network analysis to identify the core symptoms between anxiety and depressive symptoms across the subgroups and (3) comparing symptom networks between men and women teachers in the high-risk subgroup through network comparison.

Teachers were divided into three subgroups: low, moderate, and high-risk. All groups exhibited comorbid features of anxiety and depression. The top three symptoms with the highest expected influence in the low, moderate, and high-risk groups were related to anxiety, depression, and anxiety and depression, respectively. Significant differences were found in core symptoms and node strength between men and women teachers in the high-risk group.

The primary symptoms of anxiety and depression varied across subgroups and gender. Future efforts should focus on tailored interventions that address the distinct symptom profiles of different teacher subgroups and gender.