The role of hope in depressive and anxiety symptoms in emerging and older adults: a network approach

Numerous studies emphasise comorbid mood disorders in clinical cases, with little concern with the general population who suffer from depressive and anxious symptoms. Exploring the bridge that links depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and positive traits might facilitate mental well-being. Utilizing a psychological network analysis approach, this research investigates the distinct roles of hope in alleviating comorbid depressive and anxious symptoms within the general populations of emerging and older adults. Data were collected from 315 emerging adults (mean age = 22.08) and 341 older adults (mean age = 70.92). Participants completed a survey questionnaire encompassing measures of depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, hope, and socio-demographic variables. The network structures were estimated followed by the Bridge Expected Influence (BEI) was explored to understand its impact on the entire network. The robustness of the network structures was evaluated using case-dropping bootstrap analysis and confidence intervals of edge weights and centrality. Results indicate that “sad mood” is an essential symptom for both age groups, but “restlessness” is particularly important for older adults. When hope was introduced into the networks, for emerging adults, the relationship between “feeling successful in life” and “feeling bad about oneself or as a failure” was the strongest, while for older adults, the strongest relationship emerged between “past experiences have prepared me well for my future” and “suicidal ideation”. Pathways thinking could be the key coping strategy to reduce the comorbidity between depressive and anxiety symptoms in both emerging and older adults.