Social Support Across Adversity Subtypes: A Latent Profile Analysis of Depression and Suicidal Ideation in College Students

According to the theory of ecological systems and cumulative risk, this study used latent profile analysis to classify college students into adversity subgroups and examined the indirect associations of subgroup membership with depression and suicidal ideation through parental and teacher support. A total of 1142 college students were involved in the cross-sectional study. Three adversity profiles were identified: a multiple-adversity high-risk group (6%), a parental-control risk group (28%), and a low-risk group (66%). Depression and suicidal ideation were higher with increasing adversity risk. Parallel mediation analysis showed that the subtypes of adversity were independently associated with depression via parental and teacher support in all high-risk groups. Only the indirect route via teacher support reached the corrected significant threshold for both risk groups of suicidal ideation, and the parental support path did not reach this level in either risk group. As the multiple-adversity high-risk group comprised only about 6% of the sample, its estimate is relatively inaccurate and should be used with caution. This cross-sectional study identified patterns of adversity and associations of parental and teacher support with depression and suicidal ideation but cannot establish causality or protection.