Experiencing stress impact on adolescent repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury: The Mediating role of emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive schemas

Jinmeng Liu; Yumeng Wang; Xia Liu; Jinwen Li; Shufen Xing

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.074

Experiencing stress impact on adolescent repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury: The Mediating role of emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive schemas

J Affect Disord. 2023 Oct 15:339:392-399. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.074. Epub 2023 Jul 16.

Authors

Jinmeng Liu¹, Yumeng Wang¹, Xia Liu², Jinwen Li¹, Shufen Xing³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
² Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: liuxia@bnu.edu.cn.
³ School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.

PMID: 37463641
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.074

Abstract

Background: Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury (R-NSSI) is a growing concern in adolescents and is associated with various mental health problems. However, little is known about the potential psychology and addiction mechanisms of R-NSSI in adolescents. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive schemas based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model and the integrated model of NSSI among adolescents who repeatedly engage in NSSI.

Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in two waves with 6-month lags. A total of 3925 adolescents (M_age = 13.22 ± 0.86 years, 42 % female) were recruited from three middle schools. Relevant questionnaires were used to evaluate stressful life events, emotion dysregulation, maladaptive cognitive schemas, NSSI, and NSSI addictive features. The structural equation modeling approach was conducted separately for adolescents who engaged in occasional NSSI (O-NSSI) and those who engaged in R-NSSI.

Results: Results showed that emotion dysregulation played a significant mediating role in the associations between stressful life events and NSSI frequency, and both maladaptive cognitive schemas and emotion dysregulation played a significant mediating role in the associations between stressful life events and NSSI addictive features in adolescents who engaged in R-NSSI but not in those who engaged in O-NSSI.

Limitations: The main limiting factor is self-reported data.

Conclusions: These findings contribute to the understanding of the psychological and addictive mechanisms involved in R-NSSI. Both emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive schemas could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce R-NSSI in the context of stress during adolescence.

Keywords: Emotion dysregulation; Maladaptive cognitive schemas; NSSI addictive features; Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury; Stressful life events.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Cognition
Emotions / physiology
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Self-Injurious Behavior* / psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires