Behavioral inhibition/approach systems and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury: The chain mediating effects of difficulty in emotion regulation and depression

Abstract

Previous research on Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory has tentatively established the associations between behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), but the effects of BAS subcomponents (i.e. BAS-Fun Seeking, BAS-Reward Responsiveness, and BAS-Drive) on NSSI and the potential mediation mechanisms of these associations remain unclear. The present study tested a chain mediating model to examine the effects of BIS and BAS subcomponents on NSSI, as well as the mediating roles of difficulty in emotion regulation (DER) and depression. A total of 1724 Chinese adolescents (39.8% males; mean age = 15.21 years, SD = 1.57) completed self-report measures of BIS/BAS, DER, depression, and NSSI. After controlling for gender, BIS, BAS-Fun Seeking and BAS-Drive demonstrated positive associations and BAS-Reward Responsiveness demonstrated a negative association with NSSI. The results also showed a positive effect of DER on depression. DER and depression, independently and in sequence, mediated the relations between BIS/BAS-Fun Seeking/BAS-Reward Responsiveness and NSSI to different degrees. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the risk factors for self-injury. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.