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Latent Profile Analysis Reveals Four Distinct Adolescent Mental Health Patterns for Targeted School Interventions
Diego Morales1, Jorge Gaete2, Jo Robinson3,4
1Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|July 29, 2026
Summary
Latent profile analysis identified four adolescent mental health profiles, from low to high symptom severity. Findings support tailored, school-based prevention programs for adolescent mental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Adolescent Psychiatry
Background:
- Adolescent mental health issues are common, but personalized prevention is difficult.
- Latent profile analysis (LPA) provides a person-centered method for intervention assignment.
- Understanding distinct adolescent mental health profiles is crucial for effective support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To categorize adolescents into distinct mental health profiles using LPA.
- To identify factors differentiating these profiles, including emotion regulation strategies.
- To inform the development of targeted, school-based prevention programs.
Main Methods:
- Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to group 1,541 adolescents (ages 13-20) in Chile.
- Data included common mental disorder symptoms, suicidal ideation (SI), hopelessness, and emotion regulation (ER) strategies.
- Profiles were compared based on demographic factors and ER strategy use.
Main Results:
- Four distinct profiles emerged: low, mild-moderate, high, and markedly high symptomatology with suicidal ideation.
- The highest-risk profile was distinguished by suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and psychotic experiences.
- Emotion regulation strategies varied across profiles, with cognitive reappraisal linked to healthier profiles and cognitive restructuring to higher-symptom profiles.
- Profile membership also differed by biological sex.
Conclusions:
- LPA effectively identified distinct adolescent mental health profiles.
- These profiles differ in symptom severity, risk factors, and emotion regulation.
- Findings advocate for stratified, school-based prevention programs tailored to specific adolescent risk profiles.
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