somatic pain and depression among Chinese adolescents

The cross-lagged analyses reveal a dynamic interplay between somatic pain and depression over time among Chinese adolescents, with gender serving as a significant moderator in this reciprocal relationship. Specifically, among male adolescents, somatic pain exhibits a predictive effect on depression over a one-year interval, with a comparable predictive effect in the reverse direction. In contrast, among female adolescents, depression demonstrates a unidirectional predictive effect on somatic pain over the same period, with no significant effect observed in the reverse pathway. Additionally, female adolescents report higher levels of both somatic pain and depression compared to their male counterparts at both time points. Furthermore, the association between somatic pain and depression is significantly stronger in females than in males at both time points.