Relationship between life satisfaction and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: The chain mediating effect of depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents constitutes a significant public health concern, jeopardising both their physical and mental well-being and increasing their risk of suicide and suicide attempts. This study aims to investigate how life satisfaction influences NSSI and identify its underlying mechanisms among adolescent patients.

A convenience sampling method was used to select adolescents with NSSI who visited the outpatient department of the psychological clinic at a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province from January to December 2023. A total of 1039 participants were included. The survey included a general demographic information questionnaire, an adolescent self-harm questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression 5-item, and the Adolescent Student Life Satisfaction Scale. Mediation analysis was performed to examine the potential causal chain between depression and cognitive impairment mediating the relationship between life satisfaction and NSSI.

The results reveal that life satisfaction can negatively predict the occurrence of NSSI behaviour (β = 0.278,P < 0.001) and that depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction not only mediate the relationship but also play a chain mediation role between life satisfaction and NSSI behaviour.

Life satisfaction can directly affect NSSI behaviour and indirectly influence adolescents' NSSI through the mediating effects of depression and cognition, both separately and in a chain mediation model. This study enhances the understanding of the intrinsic mechanism by which life satisfaction influences NSSI and provides theoretical reference for its alleviation.