Relationship between egocentrism and non-suicidal self-injury in junior high school students

Abstract

Objective·To investigate the relationship between egocentrism and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among junior high school students, with a focus on the mediating role of depression symptoms.Methods·Data were collected from the Chengdu Positive Youth Development Cohort from June to July 2020, with a sample of 3 014 junior high school students. The Chinese Adolescent Egocentrism Scale (CAES), Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI), and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) were used for on-site questionnaires. The survey data were entered, organized, and analyzed by using SPSS 23.0 software. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between egocentrism and NSSI in junior middle school students, and the mediating effect of depressive symptoms was examined by deviation-corrected non-parametric percentile Bootstrap method.Results·Egocentrism was significantly positively correlated with depression symptoms and NSSI. Egocentrism was significantly positively correlated with depression symptoms (r=0.15, P=0.000), depression symptoms were significantly positively correlated with NSSI (r=0.48, P=0.000), and egocentrism was positively correlated with NSSI (r=0.14, P=0.000 ). Egocentrism significantly predicted NSSI (R2=0.06, P=0.000). Within egocentrism, self-conceitedness significantly positively predicted NSSI with a regression coefficient of R2=0.05, while disregarding others significantly negatively predicted NSSI with R2=0.01. Depression symptoms have a significant positive predictive effect on NSSI, R2＝0.25. Depression symptoms are observed to partially mediate the relationship between egocentrism and NSSI. The direct effect value of egocentrism on NSSI was 0.20 (95%CI 0.06‒0.34, P=0.000). The indirect effect value of egocentrism on NSSI via depression symptoms was 0.29 (95%CI 0.04‒0.10, P=0.000). The mediating effect of depression symptoms accounted for 59.18% of the total effect value.Conclusion·Lowering levels of self-conceitedness and increasing the tendency to disregard others within junior high school students' egocentrism will mitigate the risk of NSSI. Prevention efforts targeting NSSI among junior high school students should focus on individuals displaying depression symptoms.

Keywords

• egocentrism
• depression
• non-suicidal self-injury
• junior high school student
• mediating role