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. 2025 May 19;13(1):517.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02837-3.

The roles of negative mood, impulsivity, and executive dysfunction in non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among Chinese middle school students

Juanjuan Guo  1 , Lijuan Shi  2 , Jieyu Xiao  1 , Ling He  3 , Saijun Zeng  4 , Jingbo Gong  5
Affiliations

The roles of negative mood, impulsivity, and executive dysfunction in non-suicidal self-injury behaviors among Chinese middle school students

Juanjuan Guo et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have identified negative mood, impulsivity, and executive dysfunction as potential risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents. However, the interplay of these factors and their gender-specific effects on NSSI remain unclear.

Methods: In 2023, a sample of 1084 middle school students (Mage = 13.33; Nboy=574, Ngirl=510) completed psychological assessments measuring negative mood, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and NSSI thoughts and behaviors over the past year.

Results: (1) All variables were significantly correlated (all p values < 0.05); (2) Negative mood (β = 0.007, p = 0.002 for boys; β = 0.408, p < 0.001 for girls) and executive dysfunction (β = 0.209, p < 0.001 for boys; β = 0.124, p = 0.041 for girls) significantly predicted NSSI thoughts in both genders, whereas impulsivity showed no predictive effect; (3) Gender differences emerged in NSSI behaviors: negative mood (β = 0.395, p < 0.001) and impulsivity (β = 0.132, p = 0.005) were significant predictors among girls, whereas executive dysfunction (β = 0.200, p < 0.001) was a strong predictor among boys; (4) Impulsivity moderated the association between NSSI thoughts and NSSI behaviors in girls (β = 0.562, p < 0.001), but not in boys (β = -0.079, p = 0.390).

Conclusion: The influencing factors of NSSI behaviors exhibit notable gender differences. Tailored interventions should prioritize negative mood and impulsivity in girls, while addressing executive dysfunction in boys. Additionally, girls with high impulsivity and NSSI thoughts warrant closer monitoring, as they may be at a greater risk of engaging in NSSI behaviors.

Keywords: Executive dysfunction; Gender differences; Impulsivity; Negative mood; Non-suicidal self-injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: We have complied with the APA Ethical Principles in collecting data as a quality assurance activity. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center (No.M202151). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and their guardians. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Authorship and ordering: All authors agree to the authorship order and content of the manuscript. Uniqueness of publication: The data reported in the manuscript have not been published elsewhere. This manuscript is not under review elsewhere. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The hypothesis model diagram of moderating effect
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The moderating effect models among boys and girls with NSSI thoughts (Nboy = 110, Ngirl = 166)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The moderating effect of impulsivity between NSSI thoughts and behaviors among girls with NSSI thoughts (Ngirl = 166)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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