The Impact of Perceived Emotional Invalidation on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among University Students: A Serial Mediation Model of Depression and Loneliness

This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived emotional invalidation and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among university students, with a specific focus on the serial mediating effects of depression and loneliness. A cohort of 3,800 undergraduates participated in this survey-based research, utilizing standardized measures including the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for assessing depressive symptoms, the Perceived Emotional Invalidation Scale, and the Loneliness Scale. The results indicated three primary findings: (1) Significant positive correlations were observed among perceived emotional invalidation, depression, loneliness, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury; (2) Perceived emotional invalidation emerged as a substantial positive predictor of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury; (3) Depression and loneliness collectively functioned as sequential mediators in the association between emotional invalidation and self-injurious behaviors. In conclusion, perceived emotional invalidation influences Non-Suicidal Self-Injury through both direct pathways and indirect mechanisms mediated by depression and loneliness.