Open Access

ARTICLE

Latent Risk-Protection Profiles of Suicidal Ideation in Chinese Adolescents: A Gender-Specific Analysis of Environmental Vulnerability and Individual Resilience

Xiaoyin Li^1,#, Ruixiang Gao^1,2,3,4,#, Jiaxian Luo¹, Yongxing Guo⁵, Pinchao Luo^1,2,3,4,*

1 School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
2 Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
3 Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
4 Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
5 DiggMind Psychometric Testing Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China

* Corresponding Author: Pinchao Luo. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Adolescence in Contemporary Times: Risks, Resilience and Mental Health)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(2), 4 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.074111

Received 02 October 2025; Accepted 27 January 2026; Issue published 27 February 2026

Abstract

Background: Exposure to environmental vulnerability poses significant threats to adolescent suicidal ideation, while individual resilience can mitigate these adverse effects with notable gender commonalities and differences. However, research examining how these factors co-configure at the individual level remains limited, particularly from a gender-specific perspective. Thus, the present study aims to adopt a person-centered analytic approach to identify gender-specific configurations of environmental vulnerability and individual resilience associated with suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents. Methods: Data were collected from 2616 Chinese primary and secondary school students (aged 10–17; 1223 girls). Participants completed validated scales measuring environmental vulnerability, individual resilience, and suicidal ideation. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted separately by gender. Results: Gender differences were prominent: males exhibited higher resilience and lower suicidal ideation, while females reported higher environmental vulnerability and elevated levels of suicidal ideation. LPA identified three distinct profiles for males: Low Vulnerable–High Protective–Low Risk (LHL), Medium Vulnerable–Low Protective–Low Risk (MLL), and High Vulnerable–Low Protective–High Risk (HLH). Four profiles emerged for females: LHL, MLL, Medium Vulnerable–Low Protective–Medium Risk (MLM), and HLH. Crucially, within the HLH profile, males exhibited particularly deficient humor (η² = 0.19) and confidence (η² = 0.16), while females formed a distinct subgroup characterized by severe academic and family stressors (η² = 0.30–0.36). Conclusion: The study underscores developing gender-specific mental health interventions using a nuanced, person-centered approach that considers both environmental risk and individual resilience factors, which allows for targeted suicide prevention strategies addressing the unique needs of male and female adolescents.

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Keywords

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