Abstract

Objective

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) appears to be more common among women than men, though the underlying reasons for this remain unclear. In a community sample of young adults (N = 996, aged 18–33) assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated alternative explanation for the NSSI prevalence gap: are women more likely to experience the feelings which lead to NSSI as a coping strategy, or does this prevalence gap result from differences in how men and women respond to distress?

Methods

Cross-sectional mediation and moderation analyses tested how self-reported psychological distress (K10), emotion dysregulation (DERS), and impulsivity (UPPS-P) may contribute to a higher prevalence of NSSI among women.

Results

Women were twice as likely as men to report past-year NSSI (14.47% versus 7.78%, OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.29, 3.13]). Women reported significantly higher psychological distress and significantly lower sensation seeking and positive urgency than men. Psychological distress partially statistically mediated the relationship between gender and past-year NSSI. Gender did not significantly moderate associations between psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, or impulsivity and past-year NSSI. Past-year NSSI prevalence did not significantly decrease with age and we found no significant age by gender interaction.

Conclusions

Greater levels of NSSI in young women are partly explained by their greater levels of psychological distress, but not by differences in how men and women respond to this distress. Given similar levels of psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity, women and men are similarly likely to experience NSSI.

• Highlights

• Women aged 18–33 were significantly more likely to report past-year NSSI than men

• Women’s greater psychological distress contributed to their higher NSSI prevalence

• Variables investigated here were similarly associated with NSSI in men and women

中文翻译：

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为什么非自杀性自伤在女性中更常见？心理困扰、情绪失调和冲动的中介和调节分析

摘要

客观的

非自杀性自伤（NSSI）在女性中似乎比男性更常见，但其根本原因仍不清楚。 在 COVID-19 大流行期间评估的年轻人社区样本（N = 996，年龄 18-33）中，我们调查了 NSSI 患病率差距的另一种解释：女性是否更有可能经历导致 NSSI 作为应对方式的感受策略，还是这种患病率差异是由于男性和女性对痛苦的反应方式不同造成的？

方法

横断面中介和调节分析测试了自我报告的心理困扰 (K10)、情绪失调 (DERS) 和冲动 (UPPS-P) 如何导致女性 NSSI 患病率较高。

结果

女性报告去年 NSSI 的可能性是男性的两倍（14.47% vs 7.78%，OR = 2.00，95% CI [1.29, 3.13]）。与男性相比，女性的心理困扰显着更高，而感觉寻求和积极的紧迫感显着降低。心理困扰在一定程度上在统计上介导了性别与去年 NSSI 之间的关系。性别并未显着调节心理困扰、情绪失调或冲动与去年 NSSI 之间的关联。过去一年的 NSSI 患病率并没有随着年龄的增长而显着下降，我们发现性别交互作用没有显着的年龄差异。

结论

年轻女性 NSSI 水平较高的部分原因是她们的心理困扰程度较高，而不是男性和女性对这种困扰的反应方式存在差异。鉴于心理困扰、情绪失调和冲动程度相似，女性和男性经历 NSSI 的可能性相似。

• 强调

• 18-33 岁的女性比男性更有可能报告过去一年的 NSSI

• 女性更大的心理困扰导致其 NSSI 患病率更高

• 这里调查的变量与男性和女性的 NSSI 具有相似的相关性