Childhood maltreatment and self-harm in Chinese adolescents: moderation and mediation via resilience

Abstract

Background Published studies examining the association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and self-harm (SH) among adolescents have been accumulated. It is possible that resilience serves as a moderator or mediator in CM-SH association, nevertheless, this topic has never been thoroughly investigated. Methods In this population-based cross-sectional study, we surveyed 3146 students aged 10–17 in southwest China. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Modified version of Adolescents Self-Harm Scale (MASHS), and the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents (RSCA) were used to measure CM, SH, and resilience. Correlational analyses, hierarchical multivariate linear regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to test the moderation and mediation of resilience in CM-SH association. Results Findings revealed that, resilience with its five dimensions, CM, and SH were significantly correlated with each other. Resilience partially moderated and mediated the association between CM and SH. Besides, among all dimensions of resilience, emotion regulation, interpersonal assistance, and family support presented the strongest mediation in CM-SH association. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of resilience in CM related SH among Chinese teenagers. Resilience-oriented intervention could be considered in SH intervention measures for adolescents who had experienced CM.

School connectedness and psychological resilience as mediators in the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents

“…We found that psychological resilience mediated the association between childhood abuse and suicidal ideation, which corroborates previous findings (Chen et al, 2021 ). For instance, a survey found that resilience partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on self-harm behaviours among adolescents (Tian et al, 2021 ). Evidence shows that psychological resilience can be modified in interventions (Chmitorz et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Several prior studies indicated that resilience protected against suicidal risks (Cong et al, 2019 ; Sher, 2019 ). On the other hand, childhood traumas have been shown to predict diminished levels of psychological resilience (Tian et al, 2021 ; Wright et al, 2013 ). As noted by Roy et al ( 2011 ), psychological resilience prevented individuals who were exposed to childhood traumas from suicide attempts.…”

Psychological resilience mediates the association between childhood maltreatmentand self-harm phenotype in Chinese early adolescents

“…Psychological resilience has been proposed as an important factor that may be partially responsible for these differences [12].…”

Psychological Resilience Mediates the Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Self-Harm Phenotype in Chinese Early Adolescents

“…However, not all early adolescents who have experienced CM will engage in SH or have the same degree of SH. Psychological resilience has been proposed as an important factor that may be partially responsible for these differences [12].…”

“…It has been found that resilient individuals tend to report a decreased risk of negative consequences after exposure to CM [15]. Similarly, a meta-analysis concluded that the detrimental effect of CM can be moderated or even averted under the premise of effectively consolidating the resilience of victims [12]. Therefore, it is reasonable to postulate that psychological resilience could soothe the negative effect of CM on SH.…”