Citation

Yao Z, Pang L, Xie J, Shi S, Ouyang M. Front. Public Health 2023; 11: e1046729.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Editorial Office)

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046729

PMID

36969616

PMCID

PMC10034106

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The problem of adolescents' self-injury has gradually attracted social attention, however, a lack of research exists on the internal mechanism between social anxiety and self-injury. This study explored the relationship between social anxiety and self-injury in Chinese junior high school students.

METHOD: An adolescent self-injury questionnaire, social anxiety scale, intolerance of uncertainty questionnaire and self-injury questionnaire were used to survey 614 junior high school students.

RESULTS: The results showed that: (1) social anxiety had a significant positive predictive effect on self-injury; (2) intolerance of uncertainty had a significant mediating effect between social anxiety and self-injury; and (3) self-esteem had a significant moderating effect on the mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty.

CONCLUSION: The study suggested that social anxiety in junior high school students has an impact on self-injury through mediation of intolerance of uncertainty and modulation of self-esteem.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Humans; Uncertainty; Surveys and Questionnaires; self-esteem; self-injury; social anxiety; *Students; *Anxiety; intolerance of uncertainty; junior high school student