Childhood trauma and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: The chain mediating effects of alexithymia and experiential avoidance.

OBJECTIVE

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to the deliberate harm inflicted upon one's own body without any suicidal intent. Adolescence is a period of heightened incidence of self-injurious behavior, often accompanied by anxiety and depression, topics of significant interest to researchers. Upon reviewing and synthesizing existing literature, it becomes evident that childhood trauma serves as a crucial influencing factor in NSSI. Such behavior not only detrimentally impacts the individual's physical and mental well-being but also exerts negative repercussions on their family and society at large. Despite this, there remains a scarcity of intervention studies focusing on individuals with a history of childhood trauma who engage in NSSI. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on adolescent NSSI and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of NSSI formation.

METHODS

In accordance with the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 158 subjects who met the eligibility criteria were surveyed through a questionnaire. The participants underwent assessment using a range of questionnaires, including general demographic information, the Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire Second Edition (AAQ-II).

RESULTS

The impact of childhood trauma on NSSI is found to be influenced by two mediators: direct mediation through experiential avoidance and indirect mediation through a chain involving alexithymia and experiential avoidance.

CONCLUSION

Alexithymia and experiential avoidance are identified as playing a sequential intermediary role in the relationship between childhood trauma and NSSI.