Non-suicidal self-injury ideation among Chinese secondary vocational and junior college students: a latent profile analysis

Social media addiction, depression, anxiety and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) ideation are major public health issues among student populations. Although they have continuously attracted social attention and concern, research on their correlations and categorical analyses remains relatively limited. The present study sought to assess the NSSI ideation status of Chinese secondary vocational and junior college students and identify the factors influencing their ideation. Data were collected using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and NSSI Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed using Mplus 8.3 software, while logistic regression analysis was employed to examine patterns of NSSI ideation among students, as well as their associated factors. A sample of 3646 adolescents, aged 14–24 years, were randomly recruited from different secondary vocational schools and junior colleges. Gender (F(2,3643) = 48.54, P < 0.001), age (F(2,3643) = 3.34, P = 0.036), and educational level (t = 3.45, P = 0.001) are key factors influencing NSSI ideation. LPA identified three distinct NSSI ideation patterns: “Low ideation group”, “Middle ideation group”, “High ideation group”. Significant group differences were observed in terms of social media addiction (F(2,3643) = 244.8, p < 0.01), peer alienation (F(2,3643) = 170.3, p < 0.01), depression (F(2,3643) = 3975, p < 0.001), and anxiety (F(2,3643) = 8170, p < 0.001), with F-values ranging from 170.3 to 8170. NSSI ideation is associated with social media addiction, peer alienation, depression, and anxiety. Among Chinese secondary vocational and junior college students, nearly 31% belong to the group with moderate to high NSSI ideation intentions. Therefore, strengthening screening and providing timely intervention and support for at-risk groups are of great practical significance for improving students’ physical and mental health and promoting their future development.