Citation

Hu R, Peng LL, Du Y, Feng YW, Xie LS, Shi W, Jia P, Jiang LH, Zhao L. Front. Public Health 2023; 11: e1243885.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Frontiers Editorial Office)

DOI

10.3389/fpubh.2023.1243885

PMID

38274516

PMCID

PMC10808798

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common psychological and behavioral problem among adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's mental health. To date, few studies have documented the temporal changes in adolescents' psychological status during the pandemic, as well as the impact of large-scale public health intervention strategies. This study contributes to the existing evidence on the subject.

METHODS: Participants were 6,023 adolescents aged 10 years and older, with data from two waves of longitudinal surveys, including data for a 7-month interval before and during the pandemic. A cross-lagged model was used to test the bidirectional relationship between NSSI and depressive symptoms in adolescents; logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictors of NSSI implementation in adolescents with depressive symptoms.

RESULTS: In this study, 32.69% participants reported depressive symptoms at baseline and 34.27% at follow-up; 44.34% participants with depressive symptoms reported NSSI at baseline and 53.44% at follow-up. The duration of the online class, depressed affect, and somatic and related activity were the risk factors for NSSI; sleep duration and positive mood were the protective factors. The lag effect of depression symptoms on NSSI is significant, and so is NSSI on depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents' mental health has worsened, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of NSSI among those with depressive symptoms compared to pre-pandemic levels. Early screening for depression is crucial in preventing or decreasing NSSI in adolescents.

Language: en

Keywords

COVID-19; non-suicidal self-injury; adolescence; depressive symptoms; follow-up study