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.