Relationship between self-compassion and nonsuicidal self-injury in middle school students after earthquake: Gender differences in the mediating effects of gratitude and posttraumatic growth.

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the mediating roles of gratitude and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in the association between self-compassion and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). It also analyzed the gender differences in the mediating effect among Chinese adolescents after an earthquake.

METHOD

This study assessed self-compassion, gratitude, PTG, and NSSI via self-report measures among 597 adolescents after earthquake.

RESULTS

In the entire sample, positive self-compassion (PSC) had a negative effect on NSSI, whereas negative self-compassion (NSC) had a positive effect on it. In addition, gratitude and PTG played significant mediating roles between self-compassion and NSSI. In the male group, the mediating roles of gratitude and PTG in the correlation between self-compassion and NSSI were significant. In the female group, only gratitude had a significant mediating effect between PSC and NSSI.

CONCLUSIONS

PSC was associated with low NSSI levels in adolescents, whereas NSC was associated with high NSSI levels. The mediating effects of gratitude and PTG on the relationship between self-compassion and NSSI were also different by gender. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).