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A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model of Nonsuicidal Self-injury among Adolescents

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Abstract

This study tested a longitudinal moderated mediation model of the engagement in non suicidal self-injury (NSSI) based on Nock’s (2009) integrated theoretical model of the development of NSSI. We assessed general predisposing factors (i.e. borderline personality disorder features), precipitating factors (i.e. negative emotions), and NSSI-specific vulnerability factors (i.e. behavioral impulsivity and self-criticism) among 3,600 Chinese secondary school adolescents (56.6 % females, aged between 12 and 18 years). Assessments were conducted for three times, 6 months apart. Results supported the longitudinal mediation model, such that negative emotions mediated the relation of borderline personality disorder features to NSSI. The moderating effects of behavioral impulsivity and self-criticism were both significant, indicating that adolescents with higher levels of both variables were more likely to engage in NSSI. Moreover, behavioral impulsivity made additional contribution to the prediction of future NSSI above and beyond the effects of other risk factors. Findings of this study may help to elucidate the diverse roles of different types of risk factors in the engagement in NSSI, and may also shed new light on our understanding about the nature of this behavior.

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Notes

  1. Detailed information regarding the percentages of participants engaging in each NSSI behaviors with different frequencies could be obtained from the correspondence author upon request.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31300874) and South China Normal University Young Teacher Research Cultivation Grant (2012KJ013) awarded to Dr. Jianing You. This study was also supported by Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province and Research Center for Crisis Intervention and Psychological Service of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Studies of Psychological Application & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

    Jianing You

  2. Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Min-Pei Lin

  3. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Freedom Leung

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  1. Jianing You
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  2. Min-Pei Lin
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  3. Freedom Leung
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Correspondence to Jianing You.

Additional information

This research was funded in part by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31300874) and South China Normal University Young Teacher Research Cultivation Grant (2012KJ013) awarded to Dr. Jianing You. This study was also supported by Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province and Research Center for Crisis Intervention and Psychological Service of Guangdong Province, South China Normal University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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You, J., Lin, MP. & Leung, F. A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model of Nonsuicidal Self-injury among Adolescents. J Abnorm Child Psychol 43, 381–390 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9901-x

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