Latent profile analysis of comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms in college students and its correlation with social networking service addiction

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8115.2026.02.010

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective ·To explore the comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students and its correlation with social networking service addiction. Methods ·A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among undergraduate students from five colleges in Shanghai to collect the demographic characteristics of the participants, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and the Social Network Addiction Tendency Scale for Adolescents were used to assess the status of depression, anxiety, and social networking service addiction. Multivariate analysis of social networking service addiction among college students was conducted by using Logistic regression. Latent profile analysis was employed to categorize depression and anxiety symptoms among college students, and to identify their heterogeneity. Classification error was corrected by using the robust three-step method. The χ² test and Logistic regression analysis were employed to examine whether significant differences existed in the rates of social networking service addiction across different categories. Results ·Among the 1 768 participants enrolled in the survey, 23.53% had comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms, and 66.29% exhibited social networking service addiction. The probability of social networking service addiction in the group with comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms (n=416) was 6.093 times that of the group without depression or anxiety symptoms (n=618) (OR=6.093, 95%CI 4.426‒8.389), after adjustment for demographic factors. The probability of social networking service addiction in the group with either depression or anxiety symptoms alone (n=734) was 2.442 times that of the group without depression or anxiety symptoms (OR=2.442, 95%CI 1.947‒3.064), after adjustment for demographic factors. Latent profile analysis classified depression and anxiety symptoms into three categories: a medium-level group (45.4%), a low-level group (46.3%), and a high-level group (8.3%). There were statistically significant differences in the social networking service addiction rates among the three categories. Moreover, compared with the low-level group, the medium-level group and the high-level group had a higher risk of developing social networking service addiction (all P<0.001). Conclusion ·Depression and anxiety symptoms among college students are heterogeneous, and comorbidity is common. Students with more severe comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms also have higher levels of social networking service addiction. Greater attention should be paid to the mental health of college students, and targeted interventions should be implemented to address social networking service addiction among college students with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Key words: college students, comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms, social networking service addiction, latent profile analysis

CLC Number:

R749

Li Jian, Wang Suping. Latent profile analysis of comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms in college students and its correlation with social networking service addiction[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Medical Science), 2026, 46(2): 213-219.

Figures/Tables 5

TrendMD

References 30

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Item	Number	Percent/%
Gender
Male	859	48.59
Female	909	51.41
Enrollment year
2022	896	50.68
2021	437	24.72
2020	325	18.38
2019	80	4.52
2018	30	1.70
Family economic condition
Excellent	43	2.43
Good	365	20.64
Average	1 156	65.38
Poor	162	9.16
Extremely poor	42	2.38
Divorced family
No	1 600	90.50
Yes	168	9.50
Only child in the family
No	882	49.89
Yes	886	50.11
Depression symptoms
No	682	38.57
Yes	1 086	61.43
Anxiety symptoms
No	838	47.40
Yes	930	52.60
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms
No	1 352	76.47
Yes	416	23.53
Social networking service addiction
No	596	33.71
Yes	1 172	66.29

Item	Number	Percent/%
Gender
Male	859	48.59
Female	909	51.41
Enrollment year
2022	896	50.68
2021	437	24.72
2020	325	18.38
2019	80	4.52
2018	30	1.70
Family economic condition
Excellent	43	2.43
Good	365	20.64
Average	1 156	65.38
Poor	162	9.16
Extremely poor	42	2.38
Divorced family
No	1 600	90.50
Yes	168	9.50
Only child in the family
No	882	49.89
Yes	886	50.11
Depression symptoms
No	682	38.57
Yes	1 086	61.43
Anxiety symptoms
No	838	47.40
Yes	930	52.60
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms
No	1 352	76.47
Yes	416	23.53
Social networking service addiction
No	596	33.71
Yes	1 172	66.29

Item	OR	95%CI	P value
Only depression or only anxiety symptoms	2.493	1.994‒3.117	<0.001
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms	6.129	4.477‒8.391	<0.001

Item	OR	95%CI	P value
Only depression or only anxiety symptoms	2.493	1.994‒3.117	<0.001
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms	6.129	4.477‒8.391	<0.001

Item	OR	95%CI	P value
Comorbidity
Only depression or only anxiety symptom	2.442	1.947‒3.064	<0.001
Comorbidity of depression and anxiety symptoms	6.093	4.426‒8.389	<0.001
Gender	1.123	0.910‒1.387	0.278
Enrollment year
2021	1.114	0.860‒1.443	0.413
2020	0.889	0.670‒1.179	0.414
2019	1.431	0.841‒2.437	0.187
2018	0.633	0.283‒1.415	0.265
Family economic condition
Good	0.640	0.311‒1.316	0.224
Average	0.841	0.418‒1.692	0.628
Poor	0.759	0.349‒1.651	0.487
Extremely poor	0.527	0.200‒1.391	0.196
Divorced family	0.739	0.507‒1.077	0.116
Being one-child in the family	1.473	1.186‒1.830	<0.001