The protective role of resilience in childhood maltreatment, bullying victimization, and depression during early adolescence: A cross-lagged network model

Abstract

Background Childhood maltreatment and bullying victimization are established risk factors for adolescent depression, yet the dynamic protective role of resilience in this context remains inadequately understood. This study examines how specific resilience components dynamically mitigate depressive symptoms in the context of co-occurring childhood adversities. Methods A three-wave longitudinal study (6-month intervals) was conducted among 801 Chinese early adolescents (aged 10-14). Cross-sectional and cross-lagged panel network models were used to analyze multivariate relationships among five maltreatment subtypes, three bullying forms, resilience components, and depressive symptoms. Centrality and bridge centrality indices identified core and bridging nodes in the network. Results The cross-sectional network identified belief (expected influence = 1.426) as the most central resilience factor, while meaningfulness showed the strongest bridging protection (bridge strength = 0.030) against adversity and depression. Cross-lagged panel network models revealed bidirectional resilience dynamics: meaningfulness negatively predicted emotional neglect and reciprocally reinforced motivation across time points. Fatigue and emotional abuse emerged as key risk drivers in temporal networks. Limitations The sample was from a single regional school, limiting generalizability. Self-report measures and 6-month intervals may not fully capture dynamic processes or biological mechanisms. Conclusions Resilience protects against depression through staged mechanisms: pre-trauma belief establishment, in-crisis solitude adaptation, and post-trauma meaning reconstruction. These findings support the development of phase-specific, resilience-focused interventions for depression prevention in early adolescents exposed to cumulative adversity.