Risky or protective? Online social support's impact on NSSI amongst Chinese youth experiencing stressful life events

Moye Xin; Lijin Zhang; Chengxi Yang; Xueyan Yang; Meiqiu Xiang

doi:10.1186/s12888-022-04399-9

Risky or protective? Online social support's impact on NSSI amongst Chinese youth experiencing stressful life events

BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 12;22(1):782. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04399-9.

Authors

Moye Xin^{1

2

3}, Lijin Zhang^{4

5

6}, Chengxi Yang⁷, Xueyan Yang⁸, Meiqiu Xiang^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. xjxj4133@163.com.
² Shaanxi Key Research Center for Children Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. xjxj4133@163.com.
³ Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. xjxj4133@163.com.
⁴ School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.
⁵ Shaanxi Key Research Center for Children Mental and Behavioral Health, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 199, South Chang'an Road, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.
⁶ Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
⁷ College of Liberal Arts, Yulin University, No. 51, Chongwen Road, Yulin, 719000, China.
⁸ The Institute for Population and Develoment Studies, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, No. 28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an, 710049, China.

Abstract

Background: This study was designed to investigate potential gender differences in the interrelations between different types of stressful life events and non-suicidal self injury (NSSI) among Chinese youth, as well as to test the direct and moderating impacts of online social support on Chinese students' NSSI engagement under the pressure of different types of stressful life events.

Methods: Based on the data of 2200 students from middle - highschools and universities in Northwestern China, gender difference (male/female binary) in stressful life events, online social support, NSSI and their correlations were analyzed in the study.

Results: Among different types of stressful life events, male students were reported to experience a significantly higher impact of punishment and interpersonal relationship than females. Female students only experienced significantly higher learning pressure than males; Gender difference was not indentified in NSSI among youth; Stressful life events related to punishment could significantly predict NSSI engagement among males. Stressful life events related to learning pressures, interpersonal relationships, and adaption were significantly correlated to NSSI engagement among females; Online social support didn't had a significant direct effect on youth's NSSI, although it did significantly moderate the relationship between specific types of stressful life events (i.e., loss, interpersonal relationships, adaption among males and all types among females) and their NSSI.

Conclusion: The present study has provided evidence of specified types of stressful life events being risk factors in affecting youth's NSSI: For male students, the higher impacts of stressful life events related to punishment they experienced, the more likely they were about to engage in NSSI. For female students, stressful life events related to learning pressure, interpersonal relationships and adaption were all proved as significant predictors and risky factors of female youth's NSSI; Online social support did not impact on individual's NSSI engagement directly, but moderated it significantly as a protective factor.

Keywords: Gender difference; NSSI; Online social support; Stressful life events; Youth.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
East Asian People*
Female
Humans
Male
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior* / etiology
Social Support
Students
Universities