A Network Analysis of Sleep Problems and Resilience Among Chinese Adolescents

Sleep problems are highly prevalent among Chinese adolescents and are closely linked to various mental health difficulties, often exacerbated by intense academic pressure. Although previous studies have suggested a complex link between sleep problems and resilience, the specific structural associations between specific sleep-problem dimensions and resilience dimensions remain poorly understood.

In June 2024, a total of 2032 secondary school students (M_age = 16.40, SD = 1.75; 53.7% female) from China completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Cross-sectional network analysis integrated with Bayesian inference was employed to examine the association structure between sleep problems and resilience variables.

Centrality analysis revealed that subjective sleep quality and tenacity exhibited the highest strength centrality within their respective networks. Furthermore, bridge centrality analysis identified daytime dysfunction and tenacity as the two most critical bridge nodes connecting the sleep problems and resilience communities.

The present study provides a network-based perspective on the associations between sleep problems and resilience among Chinese adolescents. The findings suggest that sleep-related functioning and resilience may be interconnected through partially differentiated patterns of association, with daytime functioning, subjective sleep evaluations, and persistence-related adaptive capacities occupying relatively important positions within the broader system. These findings may offer informative directions for future longitudinal and intervention research.