A developmental trajectory analysis of adolescents' interpersonal relationships: Implications for non-suicidal...

Research highlights the role of interpersonal relationships in adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), yet longitudinal studies on their dynamic trajectories are scarce. This study examined the developmental trajectories of parent-child, teacher-student, and peer relationships among 474 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 13.93 years; 44.1% girls) across three waves spanning 17 months. Results revealed that (a) parent-child relationships remained stable, while teacher-student and peer relationships declined over time, with all three demonstrating stable individual differences; (b) initial levels of parent-child and peer relationships predicted NSSI risk through an additive model, where poorer early relationships increased NSSI likelihood as stress accumulated. In contrast, the interaction between the initial level and growth rate of teacher-student relationships predicted NSSI via a stress sensitization model, indicating that adolescents with initially high-quality relationships who experienced subsequent rapid declines were most vulnerable to NSSI. These findings underscore the distinct mechanisms by which interpersonal relationships influence NSSI risk and suggest developing tailored interventions targeting specific relational contexts to mitigate adolescent NSSI.