Emotional regulation and mental health profiles among Chinese junior middle school students: evidence for the dual-factor model

Objective This study explored latent mental health profiles among adolescents in southwestern China and the association with emotional regulation using the dual-factor model framework. Methods 1,682 junior middle school students completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire ( ERQ ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale ( CES-D ), and Satisfaction With Life Scale ( SWLS ). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) identified mental health profiles, and 3-step multinomial logistic regression examined the relationship between emotion regulation and the profiles recognized by LPA. Results LPA revealed three profiles: Troubled (31.51%, high negative symptoms/low well-being), complete mental health (61.30%, low negative symptoms/high well-being), and more troubled (7.19%, severe negative symptoms/extremely low well-being). Cognitive reappraisal positively predicted complete mental health (vs. Troubled; OR = 1.096, p < 0.001) and negatively predicted more troubled ( OR = 0.899, p < 0.001). Expressive suppression negatively predicted complete mental health ( OR = 0.863, p < 0.001) and positively predicted more troubled ( OR = 1.092, p < 0.001). Conclusion Three distinct profiles emerged, differing from the traditional dual-factor model. Cognitive reappraisal protects mental health, while expressive suppression correlates with poorer outcomes, highlighting the need for targeted interventions promoting cognitive reappraisal.