Childhood emotional maltreatment affects depression of adolescents with mood disorders: the mediating role of functions of non-suicidal self-injury.

BACKGROUND

Childhood emotional maltreatment, non-suicidal self-injury and depression are prevalent among adolescents with mood disorders. While existing model indicated that childhood emotional maltreatment, functions of non-suicidal self-injury and depression are interrelated, not much is understood about the interplay of functions of non-suicidal self-injury in the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and depression. Thus, the goal of this research was to ascertain how functions of non-suicidal self-injury relate to childhood emotional maltreatment and depression.

METHODS

The participants were adolescents with mood disorders from three hospitals in Sichuan Province, data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Ottawa Self-injury Inventory-Functions, and Childhood Depression Inventory. SPSS26.0 software and PROCESS v3.3 model 4 were used for analysis.

RESULTS

In all, 235 adolescents (Mage=14.8, SD = 1.62) participated in the research. The functions of non-suicidal self-injury (r = 0.289, P < 0.01) and depression (r = 0.475, P < 0.01) were considerably positively connected with childhood emotional maltreatment, and the functions of non-suicidal self-injury were strongly positively correlated with depression (r = 0.364, P < 0.01). The direct impact of childhood emotional maltreatment on depression in adolescents was found to be significant (95% CI 0.434, 0.828) in the mediated effects model. Additionally, the indirect effect of childhood emotional maltreatment on depression through functions of non-suicidal self-injury was found to be significant (95% CI 0.055, 0.236), with a mediating effect value of 17.58%.

CONCLUSION

Childhood emotional maltreatment has a direct impact on depression, but it also has an indirect influence through mediation roles of functions of non-suicidal self-injury. Medical staff should take care of the mental health of adolescents hospitalized for mood disorders so that they can clarify the role of functions of NSSI in lowering depressive symptoms and improving quality of life and create more targeted and effective intervention plans.