Latent profiles in the 5 C positive youth development framework: insights into well-being, mental health, and behavioral outcomes

This study employs latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct profiles of positive youth development (PYD) based on the 5C model (connection, competence, confidence, character, and caring). While extensive research has established associations between PYD indicators and adolescent mental health, well-being, and behavioral outcomes, a person-centered approach allows for a deeper exploration of how different patterns of PYD characteristics are related to these distal outcomes. Unlike previous studies, this research uses 15 PYD indicators, capturing all subdimensions of each of the four Cs, with caring treated as a unidimensional construct. The study was conducted on a national cross-sectional sample of 3,559 first-year high school students (aged 15.1 years). Latent profiles were identified via maximum likelihood estimation, and model fit was evaluated through multiple fit indices. The BCH method was used to assess profile associations with distal outcomes. Six distinct profiles were identified along with their relationships with distal outcomes (Vulnerable Youth: Distressed and Risk Behaving, Caring but Struggling: Distressed but Reserved, Balanced Achievers: Resilient Contributors, Self-Centred Underachievers: Risk Behaving, Confident but Detached: High-Performing Rebels, and Thriving Stars: Thriving and Contributing). The results highlight how strengths in one area (e.g., confidence, competence, and caring) can coexist with significant risks (e.g., binge drinking, antisocial behaviour, and mental health), whereas adolescents with poor mental health or risk behaviour may possess very different internal and external resources. Among the below-average PYD groups, students with very low levels of character and caring but preserved confidence are prone to risk behaviors while being somewhat protected from mental health issues. Others, characterized by high diversity and caring but very low confidence, show vulnerability to mental health challenges without risk behaviors. Additionally, high-risk behaviors can either cooccur with mental health issues in extremely low-PYD students or emerge independently in confident, competent adolescents lacking character, caring, and school connections. By revealing unique developmental pathways, this study enhances the understanding of youth development diversity, emphasizing the necessity of examining both observable behaviors and underlying developmental traits for developing targeted interventions that support strengths and address challenges within distinct adolescent subgroups.