Friend support buffers the relationship between maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescence

The role of depressive symptoms and social support in the association of internet addiction with non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: a cohort study in China

BACKGROUND

Both internet addiction (IA) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are major public health concerns among adolescents, however, the association between IA and NSSI was not well understood. We aimed to investigate the association between IA and NSSI within a cohort study, and explore the mediated effect of depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of social support in the association.

METHODS

A total of 1530 adolescents aged 11-14 years who completed both the baseline (T1) and 14-month follow-up (T2) survey of the Chinese Adolescent Health Growth Cohort were included for the current analysis. IA, NSSI, depressive symptoms and social support were measured at T1; depressive symptoms and NSSI were measured again at T2. Structural equation models were employed to estimate the mediated effect of depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of social support in the association between IA and NSSI at T2.

RESULTS

IA was independently associated with an increased risk of NSSI at T2, with the total effect of 0.113 (95%CI 0.055-0.174). Depressive symptoms mediated the association between IA and NSSI at T2, and social support moderated the indirect but not the direct effect of IA on NSSI at T2. Sex differences were found on the mediated effect of depressive symptoms and the moderated mediation effect of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions that target adolescents' NSSI who also struggle with IA may need to focus on reducing depressive symptoms and elevating social support.

Childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese college students: The moderating roles of social phobia and perceived family economic status

BACKGROUND

Non-suicidal self-injury is a heavy burden on affected college students with rippling effects throughout their lives. Childhood maltreatment is strongly associated with non-suicidal self-injury among college students. However, it remains unclear whether perceived family economic status and social phobia exert significant moderating effects on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the perceived family economic status and social phobia moderating the association between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

This study used data (N = 5297) from two local medical colleges in Anhui province, China.

METHODS

Respondents completed questionnaires on childhood maltreatment, non-suicidal self-injury, social phobia and perceived family economic status online. Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation followed by multiple moderation models.

RESULTS

The association between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury was moderated by social phobia (β = 0.03, p < 0.05) and perceived family economic status (β = -0.30, p < 0.05). When considered together, both factors were found to play synergistic roles in the association between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury in college students (β = 0.08, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight that experience of childhood maltreatment, elevated social phobia, and low perceived family economic status increase the risk of non-suicidal self-injury. Future researches are recommended to conduct interventions from a more holistic perspective and integrate perceived family economic status as a relevant factor along with social phobia in coping with non-suicidal self-injury in college students.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescence: The Role of Pre-Existing Vulnerabilities and COVID-19-Related Stress

For many adolescents, the COVID-19 pandemic represents a uniquely challenging period, and concerns have been raised about whether COVID-19-related stress may increase the risk for self-injurious behaviors among adolescents. This study examined the impact of pre-existing vulnerabilities on the occurrence and frequency of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) through COVID-19-related stress, and whether the impact of COVID-19-related stress on NSSI was buffered by the perceived social support during the pandemic. Participants were 1061 adolescents (52.40% females; Mage = 15.49 years, SD = 0.76) from a two-wave longitudinal study, which included assessments before the COVID-19 onset and one year later the declaration of the pandemic. Path analyses showed that adolescents with a prior history of NSSI, higher levels of internalizing symptoms, and poor regulatory emotional self-efficacy before the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher levels of COVID-19-related stress which in turn increased their risk to engage in NSSI. Besides, the findings did not support the role of social support as a moderator of the association between COVID-19 related stress and the occurrence/frequency of NSSI. These findings suggest that enhanced stress perception may serve as a key pathway for the continuation and development of NSSI among vulnerable adolescents facing adverse life events.