Testing gender differences in psychological adjustment among early adolescents through a multigroup analysis of latent profiles

Early adolescence is a crucial period for identifying psychological maladjustment and emerging gender differences. This longitudinal study explores gender differences in psychological maladjustment profiles among early adolescents, incorporating developmental predictors from earlier stages. The sample included 826 early adolescents (50% girls; Mage = 10.72, SD = 0.71) who completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Self Report. A multigroup similarity in latent profile solutions was conducted to identify between-gender differences/similarities in latent psychological profiles, and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine stable early predictors (i.e., parent-reported sociodemographic and temperamental factors) as well as more malleable parent-reported individual variables. Four profiles emerged: Moderately Externalizing, Internalizing, Comorbid, and Normative. Profile mean levels were similar across genders, but boys showed greater variability in prosocial behavior and peer problems. Girls were more likely to belong to the Internalizing and Normative profiles, whereas boys were more often found in the Externalizing and Comorbid ones. Key predictors (i.e., low socioeconomic status, low effortful control, high surgency/extraversion, and high emotional lability) showed similar effects across genders. These findings highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of gender differences in psychosocial adjustment and suggest that early temperament and emotional competences play a significant role in shaping adolescent mental health functioning.