A latent profile analysis of child maltreatment and its psychosocial correlates in a sample of school-aged adolescents

BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a major public health concern associated with a wide range of adverse mental health and behavioral outcomes in adolescence. OBJECTIVE: To identify latent profiles of childhood maltreatment in a community sample of adolescents in Spain and to examine whether these profiles differ across theoretically relevant emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, and clinical outcomes. As a secondary aim, the study explored whether maltreatment profile membership was associated with the severity of suicidal behavior and non-suicidal self-injury. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 1526 adolescents (54.3% girls; mean age = 13.8 years, SD = 1.27) from secondary schools in Madrid completed standardized self-report measures of maltreatment, psychopathology, and risk behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Latent profile analysis based on Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscales was used to identify maltreatment profiles. Differences between latent profiles were examined using t-tests and chi-square analyses. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with suicidal behavior and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) severity. RESULTS: Two profiles were identified: a High Maltreatment Exposure Profile (7.5%) and a Low Exposure Profile (92.5%). Compared to the low-exposure group, adolescents in the high-exposure profile-who were more likely to be girls- showed significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and attempts, repeated NSSI, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation, as well as greater alcohol use, more problematic gaming, and lower perceived social support. Regression analyses indicated that maltreatment profile, depressive symptoms, and emotion dysregulation were significantly associated with suicidal behavior and NSSI severity. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct maltreatment profiles were associated with differential clinical severity. Adolescents in the high maltreatment exposure profile, particularly girls, showed a more severe concurrent pattern across emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains. A person-centered characterization of maltreatment exposure may help clarify heterogeneity in adolescent psychosocial risk, particularly regarding emotion dysregulation, suicidal behavior, and NSSI.