Longitudinal Relationship Between Loneliness and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in Chinese University Students: A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and loneliness are prevalent among university students, yet their longitudinal interplay remains unclear. Using a three-wave design and a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model, this study examined within-person reciprocal associations between loneliness and NSSI among 574 Chinese university students over 12 months. Results indicated that higher trait-level loneliness was associated with more frequent NSSI. At the within-person level, loneliness predicted subsequent increases in NSSI, and NSSI predicted later loneliness. These findings support a bidirectional feedback process and highlight the importance of interventions targeting loneliness and adaptive coping in collectivistic contexts.