Exploring stressor exposure and mental health symptom patterns among forcibly displaced people: A latent profile...

The association between trauma exposure and mental health among forcibly displaced people (FDP) is well-documented. However, prior research has largely employed variable-centered approaches, which may obscure heterogeneity in individual experiences. To date, no study has applied a person-centered framework to examine patterns of stressor exposure and mental health outcomes in FDP. To address this gap, this study aimed to identify distinct subgroups of FDP who experience similar patterns of stressor exposure and mental health symptoms and examine predictors of subgroup membership. Participants were 437 FDP residing in Switzerland. Latent profile analysis was used to classify individuals into subgroups according to reported levels of stressor exposure and mental health outcomes. Sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors of profile membership were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Five distinct profiles emerged, characterized as: (a) very high stressor exposure, very high symptom levels (11.2%); (b) high stressor exposure, high symptom levels (43.0%); (c) moderate stressor exposure, moderate symptom levels (28.8%); (d) moderate stressor exposure, low symptom levels (11.9%); and (e) low stressor exposure, no symptoms (5.0%). Male gender, higher perceived social support, and secure visa status were significantly associated with membership in lower-symptom profiles. The findings suggest that person-centered approaches may offer valuable insights into the association between stressor exposure and mental health among FDP. The identified profiles indicate that these associations are not uniform, underscoring heterogeneity in stressor responses within this population. Such profiles help identify both vulnerable and resilient individuals and support tailoring interventions to individual profiles.