The chain mediating role of emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury in the relationship between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation among college students.

OBJECTIVE

Cyber-victimization has been increasingly linked to suicidal ideation, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms remain underexplored among college students. This study examined the relationship between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students, with a focus on the mediating roles of emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury.

METHOD: A total of 2001 students aged 18-24 completed questionnaires. Common method bias tests, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and chain mediation analysis (using the PROCESS Model 6) were conducted.

RESULTS

Suicidal ideation was affected by cyber-victimization through 3 different pathways: the mediating role of emotion dysregulation, the mediating role of non-suicidal self-injury, and the chain mediating role of both emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury sequentially mediate the relationship between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation among college students, underscoring the need for early interventions to strengthen emotion regulation and reduce non-suicidal self-injury.