Invalidating childhood environments and nonsuicidal self‐injury in university students: Depression and mental pain as potential mediators

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 722 - 731
• Main Authors: Holden, Ronald R., Lambert, Christine E., La Rochelle, Melissa, Billet, Matthew I., Fekken, G. Cynthia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Periodicals Inc 01-03-2021
• Subjects: depression; Mental depression; mental pain; nonsuicidal self‐injury; parental invalidation; Self destructive behavior; University students; nonsuicidal self-injury; depression; mental pain; parental invalidation
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23052

Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential mediating effects of depression and psychache (i.e., extreme mental pain) on the relationship between parental invalidation and nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) in young adults.
Method
A sample of 2474 university students responded to previously validated measures of current NSSI, childhood parental invalidation, depression, and psychache.
Results
Using a parallel mediation model, path analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated full mediation by depression and psychache of the link between parental invalidation and NSSI.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that the association between invalidating childhood environments and NSSI has the potential to be mitigated by addressing issues of depression and psychache.