Preference-for-solitude and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents

Social withdrawal has been associated with internalizing difficulties across development. Although much is known about shyness, little is known about preference-for-solitude; even less is known about how preference-for-solitude might relate to youth depression in non-Western countries. Using structural equation modeling, this study examined the links between preference-for-solitude and depressive symptoms in 201 young Chinese adolescents (86 boys; M age = 14.21 years). Consistent with past research demonstrating social withdrawal as a multidimensional construct, preference-for-solitude emerged as a related but distinct construct from shyness; youth who preferred to be alone were reliably differentiated from youth who were shy. Additionally, preference-for-solitude was positively associated with negative affect and negative self-esteem after accounting for shyness. These findings closely replicate past research conducted in North America and European settings, and suggest that interventions targeting preferred-solitary youth in early adolescence may prove particularly fruitful across cultures.