Associations of recent stressful life events with anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents with a consideration of family functioning
Creators: name: Hua, Yilin
name: Jiang, Weiqing
name: He, Yitong
name: Zheng, Xinyu
name: Huang, Cuihong
name: Guo, Liling
name: Guo, Yangfeng
name: Guo, Lan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health

description: <b>Background:</b> The association between stressful life events (SLEs) and adolescent anxiety symptoms has been extensively studied, but the specific impacts of different SLEs domains remain inconclusive. Moreover, limited research has examined the role of family functioning in these associations. <b>Objective:</b> This study aimed to investigate the associations between various recent SLEs and adolescent anxiety symptoms and explore the role of family functioning. <b>Methods:</b> Data were obtained from the second phase of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescents’ Mental and Behavioral Well-being Research in Guangzhou, China. A total of 10,985 students (51.9% boys; mean [SD] age, 15.3 [1.5] years) from forty middle schools participated in the study in 2022 and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety symptoms, SLEs, and family functioning using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC; including five subscales: interpersonal stress, academic stress, punishment-related stress, loss-related stress, and adaptation-related stress), and the adapted Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD), respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were performed and the moderation role of family functioning was also examined. <b>Results:</b> The fully adjusted model revealed that a 1-SD increase in the overall ASLEC score was associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms (<i>β </i>= 2.23, 95%CI: 2.15–2.32). Among various SLEs domains, the academic domain shows the most significant association (<i>β </i>= 2.25, 95%CI: 2.17–2.33). Family functioning exerted an independent protective influence on anxiety symptoms, with each 1-SD increase in FAD scores negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (<i>β </i>= −2.11, 95%CI: – 2.29 to – 1.93) in the adjusted model. Moreover, family functioning significantly buffered the impacts of overall SLEs and each domain, except for adaptation-related SLEs, on anxiety symptoms. <b>Conclusion:</b> Higher recent SLEs levels were associated with increased anxiety symptoms among adolescents, with academic SLEs showing the greatest association. Positive family functioning had both direct and buffering influences on anxiety symptoms. Higher levels of recent stressful life events may increase adolescents’ anxiety symptoms.Academic stressful life events show the greatest association with anxiety symptoms.Family functioning may be a promising intervention target for adolescent anxiety symptoms. Higher levels of recent stressful life events may increase adolescents’ anxiety symptoms. Academic stressful life events show the greatest association with anxiety symptoms. Family functioning may be a promising intervention target for adolescent anxiety symptoms.