BackgroundSuicidal ideation is a significant public health concern among adolescents globally, with negative life events and psychological resilience identified as key risk and protective factors, respectively.ObjectiveTo explore the mediating effect of psychological resilience between negative life events and suicidal ideation in adolescents, and to analyze differences in related variables across demographic characteristics.MethodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed publicly available data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in China, including adolescents aged 13–17 years after data cleaning. Negative life events, psychological resilience proxies (e.g., parental support, peer connectedness), and suicidal ideation were measured using standardized items in the GSHS questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling, with the mediating effect tested using the Bootstrap method.ResultsThe mean composite score for negative life events was 8.2 ± 4.8, for psychological resilience was 14.3 ± 3.6, and for suicidal ideation was 0.8 ± 1.2. Negative life events were significantly positively correlated with suicidal ideation (r = 0.456, p< 0.001), while psychological resilience was significantly negatively correlated with both negative life events (r = -0.512, p< 0.001) and suicidal ideation (r = -0.623, p< 0.001). Suicidal ideation showed significant differences by gender, age group, and parental support (P< 0.05). Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between negative life events and suicidal ideation, with a mediation effect value of 0.069, accounting for 17.56% of the total effect (95% CI: 0.036—0.527, excluding 0).ConclusionNegative life events were directly and indirectly associated with suicidal ideation among adolescents through psychological resilience. It is recommended to strengthen psychological resilience interventions for adolescents to mitigate the impact of negative events and promote mental health.