Mental health symptom profiles and temporal trends in Dutch young people's social and emotional wellbeing and suicidality, 2017–2023

Introduction: Mental health problems in young people have been increasing. Identifying profiles of several mental health symptoms, is important to better identify potential at-risk groups and tailor appropriate preventive interventions.
Methods: Data was collected among 8213 young people (2017–2023) who visited the online self-help platform mindmasters.nl. Latent profile analysis classified individuals based on symptoms of substance abuse, eating disorders, psychosis, and history of suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs). Temporal trends in social and emotional wellbeing (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)), and in STBs were estimated for the overall study population and for each identified profile.
Results: Four symptom profiles were revealed among young people: (1) relatively mentally (55.1 %); (2) young people with primarily substance use problems (7.4 %); (3) elevated severity of symptoms of psychosis, eating disorders and history of self-harm and suicidal ideation, but without history of suicide attempt (27.9 %); and (4) the highest severity of symptoms of psychosis, eating disorders, and STBs, including prior suicide attempts (9.6 %). Worsening overall temporal trends for various social and emotional wellbeing indicators were driven by specific profiles: emotional and peer problems particularly increased among individuals in Profile 2, while the increase in behavioural problems was driven by those in Profile 4. Incident suicidality increased primarily among those with previous suicide attempts.
Conclusion: Overall increases over time in various social and emotional wellbeing indicators and STBs were driven by individuals with specific symptom profiles. Taking these profiles into account could improve screening for at-risk groups and foster more personalised, data-driven mental health care and prevention.