Neuroticism and adolescent depression in China: a chain mediation model of interpersonal sensitivity and loneliness

This study aimed to explore the chain mediating effects of interpersonal sensitivity and loneliness in the relationship between neuroticism and depression among Chinese treatment-seeking adolescents recruited from outpatient mental health services. The study sought to understand how neuroticism influences depression through these two mediators. A sample of 511 treatment-seeking adolescents was investigated using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Interpersonal Sensitivity Subscale of the Symptom Checklist‑90 (SCL-90), the Illinois Loneliness Questionnaire, and Zung’s Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). The results showed significant positive correlations among neuroticism, interpersonal sensitivity, loneliness, and depression. Neuroticism predicted depression both directly and indirectly through interpersonal sensitivity and loneliness, which together formed a significant chain‑mediated pathway between neuroticism and depression. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how neuroticism affects depression in treatment-seeking adolescent populations and provide practical guidance for improving clinical assessment and intervention for adolescent depression.