Network analysis of relationships between symptoms of depression and anxiety in samples from three South American countries

Depression and anxiety are among the most prevalent and disabling mental health problems worldwide. Traditionally, symptoms of mental disorders have been conceptualized as reflecting common underlying illnesses or causes. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the application of network analysis in psychopathological research. Network analysis identifies core and bridging symptoms, which are useful for triggering and maintaining a network of disorders, which may be potential targets for intervention. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between symptoms of depression and anxiety using network analysis. A total of 1561 participants from Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru, selected from a non-probability convenience sample, were included in the investigation. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) was employed to assess anxiety and depression symptoms. The examination of the depression and anxiety symptom network encompassed the identification of core and bridging symptoms as well as network stability across the aforementioned countries. The examination of the depression and anxiety symptom network encompassed the identification of core and bridging symptoms as well as network stability across the aforementioned countries. The findings revealed that depressed mood and uncontrollable worry were the most central symptoms in the network. Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety exhibited a greater connectivity with other symptoms within the same disorder rather than with symptoms between different disorders. However, it is noteworthy that symptoms of depressed mood and uncontrollable worry could potentially link anxiety and depression. Lastly, the network structure was found to be consistent across the assessed countries.