Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (1): 126-134.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.01.14

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Identity Confusion and Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury: The Mediating Role of Alienation and the Moderating Role of Difficulties in Emotional Regulation

GU Honglei1,2, HUANG Jia3, LI Jiacheng1,2   

  1. 1. Department of Psychology, School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081;
    2. Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha 410081;
    3. Jiangmen Pengjiang Shengshi School, Jiangmen 529000
  • Published:2025-01-22

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Abstract: Adolescents are at high risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and the prevalence rate of adolescent NSSI has been increasing in recent years. Based on the boundaries model of NSSI, this study aimed to explore the relationship between identity confusion and adolescent NSSI. From the perspective of experiential avoidance, a moderated mediation model was proposed to examine the mediating role of alienation and the moderating role of difficulties in emotional regulation. 1319 adolescents were investigated using the Non-suicidal Self-injury Scale, the identity subscale from Erikson Psychosocial Inventory, the interpersonal alienation subscale from Adolescent Students Alienation Scale, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The results indicated that after controlling gender and age, identity confusion was positively associated with adolescent NSSI, and this association was mediated by alienation. Difficulty in emotion regulation moderated the mediation effect of alienation in the association between identity confusion and NSSI. Specifically, the mediation effect of alienation was significant only for the adolescents with higher level of difficulties in emotion regulation. This study examines the relationship between the central task of adolescent development (i.e., identity) and NSSI, which has practical implications for preventing and reducing adolescent NSSI.

Key words: non-suicidal self-injury, identity confusion, alienation, difficulties in emotion regulation, adolescent

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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