Alexithymia and peer victimisation: interconnected pathways to adolescent non-suicidal self-injury

作者：Qian-Nan Ruan, Linhui Liu, Guanghui Shen, Yuwei Wu, Wen‐Jing Yan · 发表于：BJPsych Open · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1192/bjo.2023.653 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Suicide and Self-Harm Studies、Personality Disorders and Psychopathology、Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression

Background The prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents underscores the importance of understanding the complex factors that drive this behaviour. Framed within broader constructs of emotional regulation theories, alexithymia and peer victimisation are thought to interact to influence NSSI behaviours. Aim This research addresses whether alexithymia and peer victimisation serve as risk factors for NSSI and, if so, how these factors interact with each other. Method This quantitative study analysed data from 605 adolescents, using a range of validated self-report measures including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Statistical analyses including one-way analysis of variance, multiple regression and structural equation modelling were employed to scrutinise the relationships among the variables. Results Alexithymia and peer victimisation significantly predicted NSSI behaviours. Specifically, the ‘difficulty in identifying feelings’ subscale of alexithymia emerged as a noteworthy predictor of NSSI ( P < 0.001). Peer victimisation mediated the relationship between alexithymia and NSSI, explaining approximately 24.50% of alexithymia's total effect on NSSI. In addition, age was a significant predictor of NSSI, but gender and education years were not ( P > 0.05). These relationships were found to be invariant across genders. Conclusions This study enriches our understanding of the interplay between alexithymia, peer victimisation and NSSI, particularly within ...