What Is the Psychosocial Environment of Adolescents with High or Low Internalizing Behavior?

Objective: This study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of internalizing behaviors among adolescents and to identify key personal and environmental factors associated with these developmental patterns over time. Methods: Data were collected from 2242 adolescents (49.6% girls, aged 13.9–18.9 years) in South Korea. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify distinct developmental patterns of internalizing behaviors. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between these developmental patterns and various factors including gender, self-esteem, abuse and neglect experiences, peer relationships, and media use. Results: The analysis revealed three latent classes of internalizing behavior trajectories among adolescents. The first group, the “mid decreasing group”, comprised 54.5% of the sample (1221 students), indicating a moderate level of internalizing behavior that declined over time. The second group, the “high decreasing group”, included 19.1% of the sample (429 students), characterized by initially high levels of internalizing behavior that decreased. The third group, the “low maintained group”, represented 26.4% of the sample (592 students), indicating consistently low levels of internalizing behavior. Factors such as gender, self-esteem, experiences of abuse and neglect, peer relationships (trust and alienation), smartphone dependency, and time spent watching TV/videos were significantly associated with these latent groups. Conclusion: Three distinct developmental patterns of internalizing behaviors were identified among adolescents: mid-decreasing (54.5%), high-decreasing (19.1%), and low-maintained (26.4%). Gender, self-esteem, abuse experiences, and peer relationships were significant predictors of these developmental patterns.