The Relationship Between Perceived Stress, Impulsivity, Executive Dysfunction and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Thoughts Among Chinese College Students: A Gender Difference Study

Abstract

Lihua Zhou,1,* Kun Zhang,2,3,* Juanjuan Guo,4 Jianbo Liu,5 Suhong Wang,6 Jingbo Gong7 1College of Education Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, People’s Republic of China; 2Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4School of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Child Psychiatry of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, School of Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Clinical Psychology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, People’s Republic of China; 7Shanghai Changning Mental Health Centre, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jingbo Gong, Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, 200335, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Suhong Wang, Department of Clinical Psychology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of perceived stress, impulsivity trait, executive dysfunction in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) thoughts among college students, as well as the gender differences.Methods: A sample of 890 university students completed self-report measures of NSSI thoughts in the past month, the level of perceived stress, impulsivity traits, and executive dysfunction.Results: Compared to those with low level of perceived stress, participants with high level of perceived stress reported significant higher levels of impulsivity trait and executive dysfunction, and higher frequency of NSSI thoughts, and there were no gender differences. Male participants with NSSI thoughts, compared to males without NSSI thoughts, reported significant higher levels of perceived stress and executive dysfunction. Female participants with NSSI thoughts, compared to females without NSSI thoughts, reported significant higher levels of perceived stress, impulsivity trait, and executive dysfunction. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed only executive dysfunction was associated with NSSI thoughts in males, while only perceived stress was associated with NSSI thoughts in females.Conclusion: This study revealed different influence factors for NSSI thoughts in male and female college students. NSSI thoughts in males were more likely associated with executive dysfunction while in females were due to recently perceived stress.Keywords: perceived stress, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, non-suicidal self-injury, gender difference

Keywords

• perceived stress
• impulsivity
• executive dysfunction
• non-suicidal self-injury
• gender difference