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. 2024 Mar 30;14(4):286.
doi: 10.3390/bs14040286.

Stressful Life Events, Sleep Quality and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Sensation Seeking

Yuanxiu Ye  1 , Huahua Wang  2 , Xiaoyan Liao  2 , Chengfu Yu  2 , Wei Zhang  1
Affiliations

Stressful Life Events, Sleep Quality and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Sensation Seeking

Yuanxiu Ye et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Despite the growing evidence that stressful life events are associated with adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), few studies have investigated the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this link. The current study examined whether sleep quality mediated the link between stressful life events and NSSI and whether this mediating process was moderated by adolescent sensation seeking. The participants were 1006 Chinese adolescents (48.21% boys; mean age = 13.16 years, SD = 0.67). They completed the Life Events Checklist, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, and NSSI Questionnaire. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to examine the hypothesized moderated mediation model. The results showed that sleep quality significantly mediated the positive association between stressful life events and adolescent NSSI. Moreover, this mediating pathway was moderated by sensation seeking. Specifically, the risk impact of stressful life events on NSSI through sleep quality was significant only among adolescents with high-level sensation seeking but not among those with low-level sensation seeking. These findings provide intervention insights to reduce the risk of adolescent NSSI.

Keywords: adolescents; non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI); sensation seeking; sleep quality; stressful life events.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothetical moderated mediation model. Note: NSSI, non-suicidal self-injury.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mediating effect of sleep quality in the relationship between stressful life events and NSSI. Note: NSSI, non-suicidal self-injury. *** p < 0.001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The moderated mediation model. Note: NSSI, non-suicidal self-injury. Gender coded as male = 1, female = 0. The numbers presented on the graph are standardized regression coefficients. Dotted lines represent non-significant pathways. Gender, age, and rejection sensitivity are included as covariates. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Interactive effect of stressful life events and sensation seeking on sleep quality.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Interactive effect of sleep quality and sensation seeking on NSSI. Note: NSSI, non-suicidal self-injury.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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