Trans-developmental stability of self-criticism as a core target in adolescent anxiety-depression comorbidity:...

Adolescent anxiety-depression comorbidity constitutes a pressing public health challenge. While personality vulnerability (PV)-comprising dependency and self-criticism-is a key transdiagnostic mechanism, its developmental stability versus stage-specificity of these dimensions as an intervention target remains unresolved. This study leveraged stage-specific network analysis and in silico interventions across early (11-13), middle (14-16), and late (17-19) adolescence (N = 73,669) to identify optimal vulnerable targets for anxiety-depression networks. Bayesian hypothesis testing evaluated evidential support for network edges. Results identified SC3 (disappointing others) as a trans-developmentally stable core node and the primary bridge connecting PV to symptoms, with Bayesian analyses strongly supporting the strongest pathway between SC3 and PHQ6 (guilt). Crucially, in silico interventions quantified downstream effects on comorbid symptoms via iterative aggravation and alleviation of each vulnerable node's value. Results revealed distinct functional dynamics. In aggravating simulations, SC3 consistently emerged as the most potent trans-developmental trigger. Conversely, alleviating simulations revealed a developmental gradient: while dependency nodes demonstrated comparable symptom reduction to SC2 (far from how I would like to be) in early adolescence, SC2 solidified as the statistically dominant maintainer in middle and late adolescence. These findings offer hypothesis-generating insights for a developmentally tailored strategy: prioritizing the desensitization of interpersonal shame (SC3) for trans-developmental prevention, while shifting treatment focus from early relational antecedents to restructuring the overarching, internalized ideal-self discrepancy (SC2) in older adolescents.