Background <p>Suicidal ideation increases the risk of suicidal behavior and death in adolescents, and it is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Using a multidimensional approach, we investigated some relevant suicidal ideation-correlated variables underlying a general psychopathology factor explaining suicidal ideation in adolescents.</p> Methods <p>Through an online survey, we assessed depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms, psychotic experiences, and feelings of defeat/entrapment in a sample of 1,570 adolescents from the general population (M = 15.52; SD = 1.29; female = 47.6%). Using structural equation modeling, we estimated a model of general psychopathology with these variables. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), CFA bifactor, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and ESEM bifactor models were compared to examine which structure best fit.</p> Results <p>The ESEM bifactor model showed the best fit (CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.03). Furthermore, the general psychopathology factor and specific factors of depression and psychotic experiences were associated with suicidal ideation.</p> Conclusions <p>These results highlight the importance of using a multidimensional approach for exploring suicidal ideation in adolescents, which might enable earlier interventions by detecting specific risk factors.</p>