He Shuhan, Li Chunyou, Zhang Shibei, Hu Yaxin, Wen Jian, Liu Lingjiang, Gao Jie, Wu Junlin, Huang Guoping
School of Psychiatry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637100, Sichuan, China.
Sichuan Mental Health Center, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China.
BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Sep 1;25(1):846. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07231-2.
Adolescence is a period marked by emotional volatility, interpersonal vulnerability, and underdeveloped cognitive control, making youths especially susceptible to non-suicidal self-injury. Distinct forms of NSSI may differ in psychological function and clinical relevance. This study is the first to employ network analysis with dual network models to examine the complex interplay among emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, cognitive insight, and 18 specific NSSI behaviors in adolescents. The primary goal was to identify key psychological nodes and central NSSI behaviors within the network structure to inform more targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
A total of 5572 adolescents (ages 12-18; 53.9% male) from three urban secondary schools in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, participated in self-report surveys conducted between September and November 2023. Standardized and previously validated instruments were used to assess NSSI behaviors, emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, and cognitive insight. Network analysis using mixed graphical models and LASSO regularization was conducted to identify central and bridging nodes across binary-level and symptom-level NSSI networks.
Network analysis revealed robust interconnections between emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, cognitive insight, and various NSSI behaviors. In the binary-level network, the fragile inner-self (strength = 1.5) dimension of interpersonal sensitivity exhibited the highest strength, while cognitive reappraisal(bridge strength = 0.88) and expressive suppression(bridge strength = 0.73) showed the strongest bridge strength. Self-reflection was directly associated with NSSI behaviors, and self-certainty was linked to both emotion regulation and interpersonal sensitivity. In the symptom-level network, the most central NSSI behaviors included deliberately scraping the skin to cause bleeding, tying objects around the body, punching hard surfaces, banging the head, and cutting the skin. Fragile inner-self (bridge strength = 0.79) emerged as the strongest bridge node in this network.
This study suggests that emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity and cognitive insight are closely associated with adolescent NSSI behaviors, highlighting their potential relevance for intervention strategies.
青春期的特点是情绪波动、人际脆弱以及认知控制能力发育不全，这使得青少年特别容易出现非自杀性自伤行为。不同形式的非自杀性自伤行为在心理功能和临床相关性方面可能存在差异。本研究首次采用双网络模型进行网络分析，以检验青少年情绪调节、人际敏感性、认知洞察力与18种特定非自杀性自伤行为之间的复杂相互作用。主要目标是在网络结构中识别关键心理节点和核心非自杀性自伤行为，为更具针对性的预防和干预策略提供依据。
来自中国广西壮族自治区南宁市三所城市中学的5572名青少年（年龄12 - 18岁；53.9%为男性）参与了2023年9月至11月期间进行的自我报告调查。使用标准化且先前已验证的工具来评估非自杀性自伤行为、情绪调节、人际敏感性和认知洞察力。采用混合图形模型和LASSO正则化进行网络分析，以识别二元水平和症状水平非自杀性自伤行为网络中的核心节点和桥梁节点。
网络分析揭示了情绪调节、人际敏感性、认知洞察力与各种非自杀性自伤行为之间存在紧密联系。在二元水平网络中，人际敏感性的脆弱内心自我维度（强度 = 1.5）表现出最高强度，而认知重评（桥梁强度 = 0.88）和表达抑制（桥梁强度 = 0.73）显示出最强的桥梁强度。自我反思与非自杀性自伤行为直接相关，自我确定性与情绪调节和人际敏感性均有关联。在症状水平网络中，最核心的非自杀性自伤行为包括故意刮伤皮肤致出血、在身体周围捆绑物体、用力击打坚硬表面、撞击头部以及切割皮肤。脆弱内心自我（桥梁强度 = 0.79）成为该网络中最强的桥梁节点。
本研究表明，情绪调节、人际敏感性和认知洞察力与青少年非自杀性自伤行为密切相关，凸显了它们在干预策略中的潜在相关性。
