The Relationship between Ambivalence over Emotional Expression and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model

• Published in: Archives of suicide research 2024, Vol.28 (1), p.90-106
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xinglin, Guo, Jiaqi, Wu, Huijiao, Chen, Danrui, Wang, Chuhan, You, Jianing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Ambivalence; ambivalence over emotional expression; Anxiety; anxiety symptoms; China; Emotions; Facial expressions; Female; Humans; Male; Males; Mental health; Middle schools; Negative emotions; nonsuicidal self-injury; NSSI refusal self-efficacy; Refusal; Schools; Self destructive behavior; Self injury; Self-efficacy; Self-Injurious Behavior - psychology; Symptoms; Teenagers
• ISSN: 1381-1118; 1543-6136
• DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2022.2134068

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become a significant mental health concern for adolescents. Previous empirical studies have shown that ambivalence over emotional expression is positively associated with negative emotions and behaviors. However, little is known about the relationship between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI among adolescents. Therefore, this study used a longitudinal design to examine the relationship between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI among Chinese adolescents, and also to explore the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. A total of 1,672 students (45.8% males; Mage = 16.12 years, SD = 1.56) in a middle school in Guangzhou were tracked. The investigation was conducted twice, with an interval of 6 months. Ambivalence over emotional expression was positively correlated with NSSI. After controlling for gender and baseline NSSI, anxiety symptoms fully mediated the association between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI. In addition, the relationship between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI was moderated by NSSI refusal self-efficacy. These findings imply that to decrease ambivalence over emotional expression, to reduce anxiety symptoms, and to promote NSSI refusal self-efficacy may be useful for interventions and preventions of NSSI. HIGHLIGHTS Tested the relationship between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI in adolescents. Examined a moderated-mediation model over six months. Found the mediated effect of anxiety symptoms and moderated effect of NSSI refusal self-efficacy in the relationship between ambivalence over emotional expression and NSSI.