6533b828fe1ef96bd1288d07

RESEARCH PRODUCT

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subject

Secondary levelSocial Psychology4. Educationeducation05 social sciences050301 educationOut of schoolAsymptomaticPerson-centered therapyEducationSchool dropoutVocational educationDevelopmental and Educational PsychologymedicineNormative0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesmedicine.symptomPsychology0503 educationDropout (neural networks)050104 developmental & child psychologyClinical psychology

description

Abstract A person-centered approach was used to identify the profiles of symptoms of psychological ill-being among Finnish upper secondary education students (N = 2889); to examine whether gender and educational track (i.e., academic or vocational) are associated with these profiles; and to investigate the role of profiles in school dropout intentions. Using latent profile analysis, one asymptomatic profile (normative, 79.2%) and three symptomatic profiles (internalizing symptoms, 9.1%; externalizing symptoms, 9.1%; and comorbid symptoms, 2.6%) were identified. Boys in the vocational track were overrepresented in the externalizing-symptoms profile, whereas girls in both tracks were overrepresented in the internalizing-symptoms profile. Students in the three symptomatic profiles showed higher dropout intentions than those in the normative profile. Altogether, this study indicated that up to every fifth student experiences symptoms of psychological ill-being, and those exhibiting these symptoms might be at greater risk of dropping out of school than their peers.