Abstract
Objectives
Interpersonal and intrapersonal factors have been linked to adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, little is known about their interrelationship and the underlying mechanisms behind these associations from a protective perspective. The present study aimed to explore the reciprocal relationship between self-compassion, perceived social support, and adolescent NSSI while considering self-compassion and perceived social support as intrapersonal and interpersonal protective resources.
Method
A sample of 1214 secondary school students (60.7% boys; average age at the start of the study was 15.46 ± 0.71) participated in the study. We conducted a three-wave longitudinal study and assessed adolescent self-compassion, perceived social support, and NSSI using self-report questionnaires.
Results
Self-compassion and perceived social support predicted lower adolescent NSSI, which in turn predicted lower self-compassion and perceived social support. Additionally, the results showed a positive interaction between self-compassion and perceived social support over time.
Conclusions
These findings revealed that providing protective resources from both intrapersonal and interpersonal sources, such as fostering self-compassion and increasing perceived social support, may contribute to the prevention and intervention about adolescent NSSI. Results from this sample highlight the positive interconnections between self-compassion and perceived social support that future intervention programs can leverage as a way to reduce the potential long-term adverse effects of adolescent self-injury.
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Data Availability
The data supporting this study’s findings are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Change history
10 August 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02204-6
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We thank the editor and all reviewers involved in the publication process for their helpful comments to improve the manuscript. We are also grateful to the volunteers who contributed to this research and to who assisted with data collection.
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The study described in this report was funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China (BBA220198). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Social Science Foundation of China.
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QingFeng Yang (QY): conceptualization, methodology, data analysis and writing - original draft, reviewing and editing. RuiBo Xie (RX): data curation, funding acquisition, writing - original draft preparation. JiaYi Li (JL): methodology, writing - reviewing and editing. Rui Zhang (RZ): revised the article. Wan Ding (WD): conceptualization, data curation, revised the article. WeiJian Li (WL): conceptualization, methodology.
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Yang, Q., Xie, R., Li, J. et al. The Mutual Relationship Between Self-Compassion, Perceived Social Support, and Adolescent NSSI: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study. Mindfulness 14, 1940–1950 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02169-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02169-6