A longitudinal comparison of stressor types among post-secondary students with and without a recent history of nonsuicidal self-injury.

Objective: This study compared post-secondary students with and without a recent history of NSSI to identify which types of stressors were most strongly associated with NSSI and examine group differences over time. Participants: The sample included 1,217 post-secondary students (Mage = 18.14 years, SD = 0.95). Method: Participants completed surveys at three times across their first year of post-secondary. Results: Students with a recent history of NSSI reported significantly higher levels of academic comparison, interpersonal relationship, financial, exam, post-secondary adjustment, academic workload, and future worry stressor severity compared to students without a history of NSSI. Although stressors were fairly stable across time, group differences in how stressor levels changed across time were observed for four stressor types. Conclusion: These findings suggest that specific stressor types may be particularly salient for students with recent NSSI histories and may represent important targets for campus-based mental health support that addresses students' distinct stressor experiences.