The Impact of Different Emotional States and Experiential Avoidance Categories on Non-suicidal Self-injury among College Students: A Latent Profile Analysis
Objective: To reveal the triggering mechanisms of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior among college students based on different latent categories of emotional states and experiential avoidance. Methods: This study measured 3,812 college students and employed latent profile analysis to identify latent categories of emotional risk factors, exploring how these factors, in combination with experiential avoidance, impact NSSI. Results: (1) Three latent profiles of emotional risk factors were identified: “Low-Risk Emotional Group” (65%), “High-Risk Emotional Inhibition Group” (30%), and “High-Risk Emotional Group” (5%). (2) Three combination patterns of emotional risk factors and experiential avoidance were identified: “Low-Risk and Low-Avoidance Group” (64%), “Medium-Risk and Medium-Avoidance Group” (31%), and “High-Risk and High-Avoidance Group” (5%). (3) Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that higher levels of emotional risk factors and experiential avoidance corresponded to an increased risk of NSSI. Conclusion: This study clarified the impact of different combinations of risk factors on NSSI, providing empirical support for future intervention research.