Relationship between depressive mood and non-suicidal self-injury in middle school students: the mediating role of impulsivity

BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior poses a significant risk to the psychosomatic health of middle school students. However, the intrinsic mechanisms underlying the risk factors associated with NSSI behavior remain unclear.ObjectiveTo explore the relationship and underlying mechanism between depressive mood, impulsivity, and NSSI behavior in middle school students, and provide valuable insights for the prevention and intervention of NSSI behavior in this population. MethodsIn March 2021, 1,161 middle school students were recruited by cluster random sampling. They were assessed using Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-II). Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between depressive mood, impulsivity and NSSI behavior in middle school students. Moreover, the Process mediation effect analysis was adopted to test the mediating role of impulsivit