<p>Adolescence is a critical period for the development of emotional problems, which can persist into adulthood if not addressed. This longitudinal study employed cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN) to explore the dynamic relationships and gender differences in multidimensional emotional problems among 673 adolescents in Guangdong Province, China. Results revealed that emotional distress (ED) and psychological pain (PP) showed relatively stronger out-expected influence, playing a key role in the exacerbation of other emotional problems. Gender-based analyses revealed relatively denser networks and stronger bidirectional relationships among boys, indicating a greater tendency toward mutually reinforcing associations. Psychological pain was the strongest out-expected influence node for boys, whereas emotional distress was for girls. In addition, limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies showed relatively higher in-expected influence in boys’ networks, whereas impulse control difficulties showed relatively higher in-expected influence in girls’ networks. These findings highlight potential targets for future research on gender differences in adolescent emotional problems, and offer preliminary insights into the importance of gender-sensitive interventions. This study demonstrates the utility of CLPN in examining longitudinal associations among multidimensional emotional problems.</p>