Self-Criticism and Depressive Symptoms Mediate the Relationship Between Emotional Experiences With Family and Peers and Self-Injury in Adolescence

ABSTRACT

Although the relationship between negative childhood experiences, peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is widely recognized, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood, especially among adolescents. This study aims to test the mediating role of both self-criticism and depressive symptoms in the relationship between memories of negative or positive experiences, current peer victimization, and NSSI. The sample consists 854 Portuguese adolescents, 451 female and 403 male, with ages between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.89; SD = 1.79), from middle and secondary schools. Participants answered self-report measures. Results from path analysis showed that memories of negative experiences, the absence of positive memories with family in childhood and peer victimization indirectly impact on NSSI through self-criticism and depressive symptoms. In addition, these stressful experiences led to depressive symptoms through self-criticism. Lastly, the most severe form of self-criticism indirectly impacts on NSSI through depressive symptoms, even though it also has a strong direct effect. It suggests that negative experiences with parents and peer victimization, as well as the absence of positive memories with family, have a negative impact on NSSI when these experiences are linked with a sense of self-hatred and depressive symptoms.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescence
• depression
• Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)
• peer victimization
• self-criticism

Funding

This research was supported by a grant to Ana Xavier, PhD, grant number: SFRH/BD/77375/2011, sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European Social Fund (POPH).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ana Xavier

Ana Xavier is a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive and Behavioral Center for Research and Intervention (CINEICC) at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Her research interests are early experiences, emotion regulation processes, risk-taking, and self-injury behaviors and psychopathology in adolescence.

José Pinto-Gouveia

José Pinto-Gouveia, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor of Clinical Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. He is the Scientific Coordinator of the Cognitive and Behavioral Center for Research and Intervention (CINEICC). He has a substantive research interests including cognitive and behavioral processes and interventions in general and clinical populations.

Marina Cunha

Marina Cunha, MSc., Ph.D., is a professor of Clinical Psychology in the Superior Institute Miguel Torga, Coimbra, Portugal. She is an integrated member of the Cognitive and Behavioral Center for Research and Intervention (CINEICC). Her research interests are emotion regulation processes (e.g., mindfulness) and social anxiety in children and adolescence.

Sérgio Carvalho

Sérgio Carvalho is a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive and Behavioral Center for Research and Intervention (CINEICC) at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. He is interested in studying contextual science particularly acceptance, compassion, and mindfulness based-therapies in chronic illness and chronic pain.