Clinical Report: Exploring the Relationship Between Aggression and Emotional Distress

Overview

This study investigates the mediation model linking aggression with depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, highlighting the roles of internet addiction and somatization. Findings indicate that aggression correlates positively with both depressive and anxiety symptoms, with somatization showing a stronger association with depressive symptoms.

Background

Adolescent mental health is a pressing public health issue, with depression and anxiety being prevalent among this age group. The association between aggression and internalizing symptoms is significant.

Data Highlights

Key Findings

• Aggression is positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.256, p < 0.001).
• Aggression is positively correlated with anxiety symptoms (β = 0.275, p < 0.001).
• Internet addiction serves as an independent mediator between aggression and mental health outcomes.
• Somatization acts as an independent mediator in the relationship between aggression and emotional distress.
• The sequential chain mediation effect from internet addiction to somatization is significant.
• Somatization has a stronger association with depressive symptoms than with anxiety symptoms (β = 0.457 vs. β = 0.428).

Clinical Implications

Addressing internet addiction and somatization may be important in managing emotional distress in adolescents exhibiting aggressive behaviors.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence for a chain mediation model linking aggression with depressive and anxiety symptoms through internet addiction and somatization.

Related Resources & Content

1. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- Excessive Internet use and depressive symptom levels in adolescents with depressive disorders: chain mediation of social anxiety and sleep quality
2. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- A systematic review of internet addiction in hospitalized adolescents: proposing a hospital-adapted moderated dual mediation model of emotional dysregulation and social compensation
3. BMC Psychiatry, 2025 -- Heterogeneity in interpersonal and intrapersonal emotion regulation among adolescents with histories of child physical abuse and emotional abuse: a latent profile analysis
4. Mental health of adolescents, WHO -- Adolescent mental health
5. BMC Psychiatry (Springer) — The effect of bullying victimization trajectory on internet gaming disorder and the mediating role of impaired resilience: a three-wave cohort study among Chinese adolescents
6. The Association Between Internet Addiction and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Meta-Analytic Review
7. Mental health of adolescents
8. Impaired sleep quality mediates the relationship between internet gaming disorder and conduct problems among adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Springer Nature Link