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. 2020 Sep 17;17(18):6771.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186771.

Does Mental Well-Being Protect against Self-Harm Thoughts and Behaviors during Adolescence? A Six-Month Prospective Investigation

Kirsten Russell  1 , Susan Rasmussen  1 , Simon C Hunter  2   3
Affiliations

Does Mental Well-Being Protect against Self-Harm Thoughts and Behaviors during Adolescence? A Six-Month Prospective Investigation

Kirsten Russell et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Mental well-being protects against the emergence of suicidal thoughts. However, it is not clear whether these findings extend to self-harm thoughts and behaviors irrespective of intent during adolescence-or why this relationship exists. The current study aimed to test predictions-informed by the integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model of suicide-concerning the role of perceived defeat and entrapment within the link between mental well-being and self-harm risk. Young people (n = 573) from secondary schools across Scotland completed an anonymous self-report survey at two time points, six months apart, that assessed mental well-being, self-harm thoughts and behaviors, depressive symptomology and feelings of defeat and entrapment. Mental well-being was associated with reduced defeat and entrapment (internal and external) and a decrease in the likelihood that a young person would engage in self-harm thoughts and behaviors. The relationship between mental well-being and thoughts of self-harm was mediated by perceptions of defeat and entrapment (internal and external). Mental well-being was indirectly related to self-harm behaviors via decreased feelings of defeat and internal (but not external) entrapment. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the psychological processes linking mental well-being and self-harm risk and highlight the importance of incorporating the promotion of mental well-being within future prevention and early intervention efforts.

Keywords: IMV; adolescence; defeat; entrapment; mental well-being; self-harm.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Visual representation of the integrated motivation–volitional model of suicidal behavior (IMV) [12].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Predicted serial multiple mediation pathway (non-dashed lines) for association between mental well-being and subsequent self-harm thoughts, via defeat and entrapment. Predicted multiple mediation pathway highlighted in non-dashed lines. “T2” indicates data collected at the second time-point.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Serial multiple mediation model for the association between mental well-being and prospective self-harm thoughts, via defeat and internal entrapment. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 Serial multiple mediation model with unstandardized regression coefficients and 95% bias corrected confidence intervals. Significant pathways highlighted in bold.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Serial multiple mediation model for the association between mental well-being and prospective self-harm behaviors, via defeat and internal entrapment. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 Serial multiple mediation model with unstandardized regression coefficients and 95% bias corrected confidence intervals. Significant pathways highlighted in bold.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Serial multiple mediation model for the association between mental well-being and prospective self-harm thoughts, via defeat and external entrapment, * p < 0.05; *** p < 0.001 Serial multiple mediation model with unstandardized regression coefficients and 95% bias corrected confidence intervals. Significant pathways are highlighted in bold.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Serial multiple mediation model for the association between mental well-being and prospective self-harm behaviors, via defeat and external entrapment. *** p < 0.001 Serial multiple mediation model with unstandardized regression coefficients and 95% bias corrected confidence intervals. Significant pathways are highlighted in bold.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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