Subtypes of suicidal ideation in Korean adolescents: A multilevel latent profile analysis

Objective: This study intended to classify subtypes of Korean adolescents with suicidal ideation based on mental health problems and to explore the relationship between such subtypes and individual-, school- and community-level factors. Method: Data from high school freshmen who participated in the 2013 school-based mental health screening test and data about school and community variables obtained from public sources were combined and analyzed. A multilevel latent profile analysis using mental health issues as class indicators that included several predictors was conducted. Results: Three latent profiles were identified: Group 1 (6.5%) had high scores for both the internalizing and externalizing problems; Group 2 (40.2%) had high scores for internalizing problems, such as depression and mood related symptoms; and Group 3 (53.3%) had lower scores for all mental health problems compared to Groups 1 and 2. Gender, peer conflict, family conflict and academic problems were significant predictors at the individual level; school dropout rate was a significant school-level variable; and percent of youth in the total population, availability of mental health services, number of social welfare facilities and percentage of the total budget devoted to education/welfare were significant community-level variables. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that adolescents with suicidal ideation can be classified into several distinct subtypes based on mental health problems. These profiles and their associated covariates will aid in the establishment of youth suicide prevention policies.