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World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2026; 16(10): 122815
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122815
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122815
Autonomic function characteristics and stratification analysis of adolescent patients with depressive disorders based on the low-frequency:high-frequency ratio
Ya-Qin Zhao, Ai-Qin Peng, Xiao-Wei Tang, Department of Psychiatry, Yangzhou Wutaishan Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Teaching Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, Jiangsu Province, China
Ting Wang, Ping Zhao, Jiao-Jiao Sun, Jia Li, Department of Outpatient, Yangzhou Wutaishan Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Teaching Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, Jiangsu Province, China
Nan Liu, Department of Nursing, Yangzhou Wutaishan Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou 225003, Jiangsu Province, China
Qiu-Chen Hu, Science and Education Section, Yangzhou Wutaishan Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Teaching Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225003, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Ya-Qin Zhao and Ting Wang.
Co-corresponding authors: Jia Li and Xiao-Wei Tang.
Author contributions: Zhao YQ, Liu N, Zhao P contributed to investigation, writing-original draft; Wang T, Sun JJ, Hu QC, Li J, Tang XW contributed to writing-original draft, methodology; Peng AQ contributed to writing-original draft, conceptualization; Zhao YQ and Wang T have made crucial and indispensable contributions towards the completion of the project and thus qualified as the co-first authors of the paper; Li J and Tang XW played important and indispensable roles in the manuscript preparation as the co-corresponding authors.
AI contribution statement: This article does not utilize AI.
Supported by 2021 Annual “Hu Xin Fund” of the Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Zoonotic Diseases, No. HX2112; Youth Talent Support Project of Jiangsu Provincial 333 Project, No. (2022)3-29-052; Elderly Health Research Project of Jiangsu Commission of Health, No. LR2022015 and No. LKZ2023020; Yangzhou City Basic Research Program (Joint Special Project)-Health and Wellness Category, No. 2025-4-24 and No. 2025-3-33; Special Research Project of National Health Commission Capacity Building and Continuing Education Center, No. GWJJZX20251001078; Yangzhou Key Research and Development Project (Social Development) Special Program, No. YZ2025083; Key Project of Medical Research Program, Jiangsu Provincial Health Commission, No. K2025051; 2025 Yangzhou Social Development Project Special Fund, No. YZ2025084; and Jiangsu Yangzhou Wutai Mountain Hospital 2025 Hospital Research Fund Grant, No. WTS2025009.
Institutional review board statement: This study earned the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Yangzhou Wutai Mountain Hospital (approval No. WTSLL2025009).
Informed consent statement: All participants signed the informed consent form before entering the study, and all procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki Ethics approval and consent to.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement- checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to individual privacy but are available in summary/group level form from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Xiao-Wei Tang, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Psychiatry, Yangzhou Wutaishan Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Teaching Hospital of Yangzhou University, No. 2 Wutaishan Road, Yangzhou 225003, Jiangsu Province, China. 15062790442@163.com
Received: April 29, 2026
Revised: July 16, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 165 Days and 1.8 Hours
Revised: July 16, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 165 Days and 1.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Adolescent depressive disorder (DDs) severity is independently correlated with the low-frequency (LF):high-frequency (HF) ratio (reflecting autonomic nervous imbalance), anxiety symptoms, and various socio-familial factors. Per capita monthly household income is a protective factor. Integrating the LF:HF ratio with psychosocial factors can facilitate early identification, severity stratification, and precise intervention for adolescent DDs.