Childhood maltreatment affects college students' nonsuicidal self-injury: Dual effects via trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, and prosocial behaviors

Abstract

BackgroundFew studies have explored the impact of trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame and prosocial behaviors on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college students' NSSI. ObjectiveThe present study examined how trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, and prosocial behaviors mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college students' NSSI. Participants and settingThe sample comprised 496 college students (40.7 % male participants, age = 18.98 ± 1.35 years) from five universities in China. MethodsThis longitudinal study was conducted three times with a six-month interval. Childhood maltreatment was assessed at Time 1; trauma-related guilt, trauma-related shame, and prosocial behaviors were assessed at Time 2; and NSSI was assessed at Time 3. ResultsThe results suggested that prosocial behaviors mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college students' NSSI (β = 0.021, 95 % CI = 0.005 to 0.049), and trauma-related shame played a mediating role in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college students' NSSI (β = 0.030, 95 % CI = 0.004 to 0.077). In addition, trauma-related guilt and prosocial behaviors showed a serial mediating effect between childhood maltreatment and NSSI (β = −0.002, 95 % CI = −0.009 to −0.0003). Trauma-related shame and prosocial behaviors also showed a serial mediating effect between childhood maltreatment and NSSI (β = 0.002, 95 % CI = 0.0002 to 0.009). ConclusionProsocial behaviors act as a protective factor of college students' NSSI. Trauma-related shame following childhood maltreatment could reduce prosocial behaviors, which may ultimately increase NSSI.