Comparison of depressive symptoms between heterosexual and sexual minority university students: network analysis

Network analysis has emerged as a powerful approach for examining the complex interrelationships among psychiatric symptoms. In the context of depression, this method allows for identifying the most central symptoms that sustain the overall clinical picture, offering new possibilities for targeted interventions. Depression is a prevalent mental disorder that significantly affects university students, especially those belonging to sexual minorities. Understanding the interplay between depressive symptoms can inform more effective interventions by targeting the symptoms most central to the disorder. This study aimed to compare the interrelationship between depressive symptoms between groups of heterosexual and sexual minority students through network analysis. In this cross-sectional study, depressive symptoms were evaluated through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) among 1,271 university students. A network analysis was then conducted to identify the most influential symptoms and their associated patterns, based on centrality indices. The analysis revealed that sexual minority students reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to their heterosexual students. In the network of heterosexual students, suicidal ideation showed the highest centrality, whereas feelings of guilt emerged as the most central symptom among sexual minority students. The findings suggest group-specific patterns of symptom centrality, with different symptoms appearing more central within each group. These patterns inform assessment and monitoring priorities in university settings.