Non-suicidal self-injury in a college sample: Intrapersonal and family factors.

Tseng, Yen Chun; Ditchman, Nicole

Objective: Adolescents and young adults are at risk for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior. This study examined intrapersonal (depressive symptoms, self-criticism) and family (perceived family functioning, parenting style, parental attachment) factors associated with reported history of NSSI in a college sample. Method: Participants included 111 undergraduate students (Mage = 20.2) from a private, nonprofit university. Data were collected via online survey. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results: The final model was statically significant, Nagelkerke R2 =.40, suggesting a robust association between the predictors and history of NSSI. Self-criticism and unhealthy family functioning were significant predictors of NSSI behaviors after controlling for study variables and demographic characteristics. Reported history of engaging in NSSI was positively correlated with parent alienation, unhealthy family functioning, self-criticizing behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: College mental health providers should be familiar with risk factors of NSSI as well as strategies to address self-criticism.

SUICIDE risk factors; RISK assessment; CRITICISM; SCALE analysis (Psychology); STATISTICAL correlation; STATISTICAL significance; UNDERGRADUATES; PARENT-child relationships; UNIVERSITIES & colleges; QUESTIONNAIRES; SEX distribution; LOGISTIC regression analysis; FAMILY relations; PARENTING; RELATIVE medical risk; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; SELF-mutilation; SURVEYS; ANALYSIS of variance; SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors; INTERPERSONAL relations; DATA analysis software; MENTAL depression; ADOLESCENCE; ADULTS

Journal of American College Health, 2025, Vol 73, Issue 1, p217

0744-8481

Academic Journal

10.1080/07448481.2023.2209206