Zhang WY, Yang K, Zhai YC, Miao QS, Cui YH. Mental vulnerability, family dysfunction, and digital exposure: Overlooked burdens in populations with noncommunicable chronic diseases. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 112122 [PMID: 41357917 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112122]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yong-Hua Cui, MD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, No. 56 Nanlishi Road, Beijing 100101, China. cuiyonghua@bch.com.cn
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Psychiatry
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Editorial
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Dec 19, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 12, 2025
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Zhang WY, Yang K, Zhai YC, Miao QS, Cui YH. Mental vulnerability, family dysfunction, and digital exposure: Overlooked burdens in populations with noncommunicable chronic diseases. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(12): 112122 [PMID: 41357917 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112122]
World J Psychiatry. Dec 19, 2025; 15(12): 112122 Published online Dec 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.112122
Mental vulnerability, family dysfunction, and digital exposure: Overlooked burdens in populations with noncommunicable chronic diseases
Wen-Yan Zhang, Kai Yang, Yan-Chang Zhai, Qing-Shan Miao, Yong-Hua Cui
Wen-Yan Zhang, Kai Yang, Yong-Hua Cui, Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, Beijing 100101, China
Yan-Chang Zhai, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China
Qing-Shan Miao, Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining 272000, Shandong Province, China
Co-first authors: Wen-Yan Zhang and Kai Yang.
Co-corresponding authors: Qing-Shan Miao and Yong-Hua Cui.
Author contributions: Zhang WY and Cui YH designed the research; Yang K, Zhai YC, and Miao QS conducted literature search; Zhang WY drafted the letter; all authors reviewed the final submitted version of the manuscript and agree to be held accountable for all aspects of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yong-Hua Cui, MD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, No. 56 Nanlishi Road, Beijing 100101, China. cuiyonghua@bch.com.cn
Received: July 18, 2025 Revised: August 16, 2025 Accepted: September 25, 2025 Published online: December 19, 2025 Processing time: 132 Days and 19.1 Hours
Abstract
In this article, we comment on the recent network analysis by Li et al, which explores depression, anxiety, and their associated factors in individuals with noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs). We highlight three often-overlooked domains in this population: Mental vulnerability (depression, anxiety, fatigue, nervousness), dysfunction in family functioning (family health, intimate partner violence), and digital exposure (media exposure, problematic internet use), and examine their dynamic interrelations within a psychosocial network framework. The findings reveal a complex system in which emotional dysregulation, family relational adversity, and digital behaviors mutually reinforce one another to heighten psychiatric risk. Notably, traditional demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, and residence had minimal impact on overall network strength. We argue that these interconnected domains represent modifiable yet underrecognized targets for mental health intervention among medically vulnerable populations. Strategies that promote emotional resilience, strengthen family systems, and enhance digital literacy may play a pivotal role in disrupting maladaptive network pathways and improving quality of life for individuals with NCDs. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and multimodal designs to clarify causal mechanisms and support tailored, systems-level psychosocial interventions.
Core Tip: This commentary underscores the dynamic interplay among emotional vulnerability, family dysfunction, and digital exposure in individuals with noncommunicable chronic diseases. By identifying these psychosocial factors as modifiable and transdiagnostic intervention targets, the article advocates for integrative strategies emotional resilience training, family-based support, and digital literacy enhancement to disrupt reinforcing risk pathways and improve mental health outcomes in medically vulnerable populations.
