Bullying Victimization, Non-suicidal Self-injury, and Psychotic-like Experiences in Chinese Rural Adolescents: Exploring Transactional Associations.

Previous research has provided clues to the association between bullying victimization, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). However, these studies have been limited in their failure to examine both the directions of the associations and the underlying mediating mechanisms. Furthermore, there has been little investigation into the longitudinal associations among these variables in rural adolescents. This study aimed to address the aforementioned limitations by examining the bidirectional associations and the potential mediating mechanisms among bullying victimization, NSSI, and PLEs in a sample of Chinese rural adolescents. A total of 526 junior middle school students (42.6% males; average age = 14.62, SD = 1.15, age range = 12 to 16 years old) from a rural county in Guangdong province, China were recruited and assessed at three time points spanning one year. Cross-Lagged Panel Models (CLPMs) were employed to investigate the prospective focal longitudinal associations. CLPMs revealed that notable reciprocal associations were observed between bullying victimization and NSSI, as well as between NSSI and PLEs. Moreover, PLEs at Time 1 significantly predicted bullying victimization at Time 2. Additionally, only the indirect path from Time 1 PLEs to Time 3 bullying victimization via Time 2 NSSI was significant. This study sheds light on the bidirectional associations and underlying mediating mechanisms among bullying victimization, NSSI, and PLEs in rural adolescents. The findings highlight the importance of considering the complex interplay between these factors and the need for targeted interventions to address the mental health concerns in this population.