Multidimensional self-rating biological rhythm disorder and its association with depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents aged 11–23 years: a school-based cross-sectional study from China

Background Depression and anxiety are topical concerns worldwide, especially among adolescents. Besides, biological rhythm disorder as a candidate mechanism for mood disorders is highly prevalent, but relevant research among adolescents in China is presently limited. We conducted the present study to investigate the distribution of multi-dimensional self-rating biological rhythm disorder and the association of self-rating biological rhythm disorders with depression and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents in different academic stages. Methods In the cross-sectional study, 3693 students aged 11–23 from Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China were included. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) were used to evaluate symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Additionally, the Self-Rating of Biological Rhythm Disorder for Adolescents (SBRDA) was used to assess status of biological rhythm disorders. Multivariate logistic regression was developed to explore factors potentially associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety stratified by academic stages. Results Among all participants, 44.14 and 36.15% suffered from depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. On average, participants scored 74.66 ± 19.37 on the measure of total biological rhythm disorder. Adjusted for demographic confounding factors, the logistic regression analysis showed higher scores of total biological rhythm disorder were associated with more severe depression (OR = 14.38, 95%CI: 11.38–18.16) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 11.63, 95%CI: 9.14–14.81). The similar results were also found in the stratified analysis by academic stages. Conclusions Self-rating biological rhythm disorders are significantly associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Discrepancy across academic stages should also be taken into account in establishing public health strategies.