# Differential Associations Between Adaptability and Mental Health Symptoms Across Interpersonal Style Groups: A Network Comparison Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how adaptability relates to mental health symptoms in university students with different interpersonal styles.

## Contribution

It identifies distinct interpersonal profiles and reveals how adaptability dimensions are differentially linked to mental health within each group.

## Key findings

- Emotional adaptability is negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress across all interpersonal profiles.
- The withdrawn and avoidant group shows structural differences in adaptability-mental health connections compared to the well-adjusted group.
- Findings suggest the need for targeted mental health strategies based on interpersonal style.

## Abstract

The university period is a transitional stage during which students develop heterogeneous interpersonal styles to navigate complex social demands. While prior studies have linked interpersonal functioning to adaptability and mental health, structural differences across interpersonal style groups remain underexplored. Therefore, the current research was designed to examine whether and how adaptability is differentially related to mental health symptoms when considered within the framework of distinct interpersonal style profiles. Using K-means clustering, we identified three distinct interpersonal profiles: the withdrawn and avoidant type, the overinvolved and compliant type, and the well-adjusted interpersonal type. Based on this classification, network analyses were conducted to examine how six dimensions of adaptability related to three core mental health symptoms within each group. The results showed a consistent pattern across all profiles, with emotional adaptability negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Subsequent network comparison analyses demonstrated that the withdrawn and avoidant group differed significantly in structure from the well-adjusted interpersonal group, particularly in the connections involving emotional, interpersonal, and economic adaptability. By uncovering meaningful differences in adaptability-mental health associations across interpersonal style, this study provides a foundation for designing targeted strategies that address the unique adaptabilities and mental health problems of distinct interpersonal profiles.