Interpersonal sensitivity, emotion regulation self-efficacy, and depression symptoms in medical students: A network analysis

Objective To explore the network structure characteristics and core symptoms of interpersonal sensitivity, emotion regulation self-efficacy, and depression symptoms in medical students, providing reference for targeted prevention and intervention of symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to December 2023, using convenience sampling to select 1 070 medical students from a medical school in Jiangsu Province. Participants were surveyed using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) Interpersonal Sensitivity Subscale, the Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Depression Subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). A network analysis was performed to construct a network of interpersonal sensitivity, emotion regulation self-efficacy, and depression symptoms in medical students, assessing the centrality, bridge strength, stability, and precision of each item. Results A total of 1 042 medical students were included in the analysis. The stability coefficient of the network (CS-C) for interpersonal sensitivity, emotion regulation self-efficacy, and depression symptoms was 0.75, indicating robust network structure. The strongest symptom node in interpersonal sensitivity was "feeling uncomfortable when others are looking at or discussing oneself"; "believing that one has no value as a person" and "believing that life is meaningless" were the most tightly connected edges. The node with the highest bridge strength was "ability to express positive emotions". Conclusions Interpersonal sensitivity and emotion regulation self-efficacy are related to depression symptoms in medical students. Targeted interventions based on these findings can improve emotion regulation abilities and alleviate depression symptoms.