The Relation between Neuroticism and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior among College Students: Multiple Mediating Effects of Emotion Regulation and Depression

Chengju Liao, Xingmei Gu, Jie Wang, Kuiliang Li, Xiaoxia Wang, Mengxue Zhao and Zhengzhi Feng
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Chengju Liao: Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Xingmei Gu: Department of Medical English, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Jie Wang: Department of Finance and Economics, Chongqing Chemical Industry Vocational College, Chongqing 401228, China
Kuiliang Li: Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Xiaoxia Wang: Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Mengxue Zhao: Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Zhengzhi Feng: Department of Medical Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior among college students is a focus of attention in current society. In the information era, the Internet serves as a public health concern and as an effective pathway for prevention. In order to reduce NSSI behavior, we explore its influence factors, especially the relations between neuroticism, emotion regulation (ER), depression, and NSSI behavior. Methods: A total of 450 college students were surveyed with the Big Five Inventory-2, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Questionnaire. Results: Regression analysis showed that neuroticism significantly negatively predicted emotion regulation, while it positively predicted depression and NSSI. Multiple mediation modeling demonstrated that neuroticism and emotion regulation had no significant direct effects on NSSI. However, neuroticism could indirectly affect NSSI through four pathways of multiple mediating effects, including depression, cognitive reappraisal-depression, expressive suppression-depression, and cognitive reappraisal-expressive suppression-depression. Conclusions: Neuroticism positively predicts depression and NSSI behavior, and affects NSSI through the mediating effect of ER and depression. Therefore, amelioration of neuroticism from the perspectives of emotion regulation and depression is recommended, so as to reduce NSSI behavior among college students with highly neurotic personalities.

Keywords: neuroticism; emotion regulation; depression; non-suicidal self-injury; multiple mediating effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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