Bridge nodes linking neuroticism to depressive symptoms: An item-level network and intervention simulation study

Depression is a common mental health concern among college students, and neuroticism has been widely identified as a major personality-based risk factor. However, previous research has mainly examined these constructs at the dimension or total-score level, with limited attention to item-level interactions.

The study recruited 4421 Chinese college students (52.8% female; M_age = 19.5, SD = 1.8). Standardized instruments were used to assess neurotic traits and depressive symptoms. A mixed graphical model (MGM) was estimated to construct the network, and bridge strength indices were used to identify key bridge nodes. The stability and sensitivity of these nodes were evaluated using bootstrap and edge-threshold procedures. Furthermore, a simulation-based intervention analysis was conducted, introducing the CrossCut (Cross-Community Coupling) metric to quantify overall cross-community connectivity and evaluate how it shifts under simulated interventions.

Four bridge nodes emerged: N5 (Fed up), D2 (Depressed mood), D6 (Low self-esteem), and N11 (Loneliness). In the simulated intervention, constraining each individually reduced CrossCut by 16-23%, and jointly constraining all four produced a 65.9% reduction.

These findings suggest that emotional reactivity, self-critical cognition, and interpersonal disconnection constitute the principal structural links connecting neuroticism and depressive symptoms. These bridge features represent potential targets for future research and clinical interventions aiming to attenuate the association between neurotic personality traits and depressive symptoms.