Latent Profile Analysis of Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Secondary Vocational Students

The present study was designed to explore the profiles of emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese secondary vocational students through a person-centered approach and the association between detected profiles and students’ gender and left-behind status. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was administered to 2,080 secondary vocational students aged 13 to 20 years. The results of latent profiles analysis (LPA) supported a three-profile model: the “well-adjusted” (51.01%), “maladaptive” (14.89%), and “emotional-attentional problems” (34.10%). Female adolescents were more likely to be members of emotional-attentional problems group and male adolescents were more likely to be members of maladaptive group. The current research confirmed the validity of LPA in detecting profiles of mental health problems among secondary vocational students, and further highlighted the theoretical value as well as practical implications in comprehension of the unique classification pattern of emotional and behavioral problems and tailored intervention to this special group of adolescents.