Protective role of perceived social support against adolescent self-injury addiction: Serial mediation of negative emotion and impulsivity

BACKGROUND: Repeated non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors are frequently associated with negative emotions, impulsivity and addictive-like characteristics. AIM: To explore the protective role of perceived social support against self-injury addiction among adolescents engaging in NSSI. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 102 Chinese adolescents with NSSI from outpatient clinics at a local hospital between January 2024 and April 2024, and their perceived social support, depression and anxiety emotions, impulsivity, and self-injury addiction were assessed using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and addiction subscale of the Revised Chinese Version of Ottawa Self-injury Inventory (ROSI-addiction). RESULTS: Among adolescents with NSSI, ROSI-addiction scores were negatively correlated with MSPSS factors and positively correlated with SAS scores, SDS scores, and all BIS-11 factors except Cognitive instability. Meanwhile, MSPSS factors were negatively correlated with SAS and SDS scores; SAS and SDS scores exhibited positively correlations with the BIS-11 dimensions of Attention, Perseverance, Self-control and Cognitive complexity. Moreover, perceived social support demonstrated both direct and indirect negative relations with self-injury addiction, mediated by anxiety, depression and impulsivity. CONCLUSION: Negative emotions and impulsivity mediated the inverse correlation between perceived social support and self-injury addiction in adolescents with NSSI. Enhancing available social support, and regulating anxiety, depression and impulsivity may be fundamental for intervention of in NSSI.