The Relationship between Traumatic Life Events and Self-Injurious Behaviors in College Students: The Mediating Role of Mentalization and Negative Emotional Dysregulation

Self-harm is one of the strongest predictors of suicide. Students are known as one of the populations that have the highest rate of self-harm. Therefore, it is vital to understand why and the mechanisms that are important in this context. The present study was also conducted with the aim of investigating the mediating role of mentalization and negative emotional dysregulation in the relationship between traumatic life events and self-injurious behaviors in college students.

The present research is a descriptive-correlation type of structural equations. The statistical population of this research was all undergraduate students of Karaj University, of which 290 people were selected by simple random sampling. The research tools are: Life Events Scale, Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, Diffiiculties in Emotion Regulation Scale- Short Form and Self-Harm Inventory. The research data were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL software and with the help of structural equation modeling method.

The results of the findings show the fit of the assumed model. Also, the direct path coefficients of traumatic life events on negative emotional dysregulation (T = 14.169, β = 0.683) and Uncertainty mentalization component (T = 21.61, β = 0.782) were positively significant. The coefficient of the direct path of traumatic life events on confidence (T = -24.650, β = -0.823) were negatively significant. The direct path of traumatic life events on self-injurious behaviors was not significant. Also, the analysis of research findings indicated the mediating role of mentalization and negative emotional dysregulation in the relationship between traumatic life events and self-injurious behaviors.

Based on the findings of the research, it can be concluded that targeted interventions that are used to increase mentalizing capacity and reduce negative emotional dysregulation, can probably be effective in preventing and reducing self-harming behaviors of people.