Parental Psychological Control, Parent-Related Loneliness, Depressive Symptoms, and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Abstract

Objective

Adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has become an alarming public health concern. Parental psychological control has been identified as a risk factor for NSSI in some western samples. However, the relationship between parental psychological control and NSSI remains unclear among Chinese adolescents. Furthermore, little is known about how parental psychological control affects NSSI. This study aims to examine a moderated serial mediation model of NSSI, revealing the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying the relationship between parental psychological control and NSSI.

Method

A total of 953 Chinese secondary school students (47.7% females, mean age = 12.53 years, SD = 0.63) completed questionnaires of NSSI, parental psychological control, parent-related loneliness, depressive symptoms, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

Results

Parental psychological control was positively associated with NSSI. This association was mediated by parent-related loneliness and depressive symptoms independently. Also, it was serially mediated by parent-related loneliness and depressive symptoms. In addition, regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the indirect relationships between parental psychological control and NSSI.

Conclusions

Findings of this study shed light on how NSSI is affected by parental psychological control, parent-related loneliness, depressive symptoms, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and provide insights into the prevention and intervention measures targeting adolescent NSSI.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Parental psychological control was positively associated with NSSI.

• Parent-related loneliness and depressive symptoms independently and serially mediated the association between parental psychological control and NSSI.

• Regulatory emotional self-efficacy moderated the indirect relationships between parental psychological control and NSSI.

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• depressive symptoms
• loneliness
• nonsuicidal self-injury
• parental psychological control
• regulatory emotional self-efficacy

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31771228); the National Social Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19ZDA360); the Guangdong Youth Research Project (Grant No. 2018WT005); the Projects of Key Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, MOE (Grant No.17 JJD190001 and Grant No. 16JJD190001); the Special Funds for the Cultivation of Guangdong College Students’ Scientific and Technological Innovation (“Climbing Program” Special Funds; Grant No. pdjh2021b0145).

Notes on contributors

Jiaqi Guo

Jiaqi Guo, Qianqian Gao, Ruyun Wu, Jiefeng Ying and Jianing You, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China.

Qianqian Gao

Jiaqi Guo, Qianqian Gao, Ruyun Wu, Jiefeng Ying and Jianing You, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China.

Ruyun Wu

Jiaqi Guo, Qianqian Gao, Ruyun Wu, Jiefeng Ying and Jianing You, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China.

Jiefeng Ying

Jiaqi Guo, Qianqian Gao, Ruyun Wu, Jiefeng Ying and Jianing You, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China.

Jianing You

Jiaqi Guo, Qianqian Gao, Ruyun Wu, Jiefeng Ying and Jianing You, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, & School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, P. R. China.