Maladaptive perfectionism and adolescent NSSI: A moderated mediation model of psychological distress and mindfulness.

Abstract

Maladaptive perfectionism has been shown to be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents. Based on the functional model of self-injury, we predicted that this association is due to the mediating effect of psychological distress. We also tested the assumption that being mindful-that is, being able to accept rather than escape the psychological distress-would be a protective factor in this process. Eight hundred and forty-one Chinese adolescents completed online questionnaires concerning maladaptive perfectionism, psychological distress, mindfulness, and NSSI. Regression-based analyses showed that maladaptive perfectionism predicted adolescents' NSSI through the indirect effect of psychological distress. Mindfulness weakened the indirect effect. These findings suggest that self-injury serves a function in emotion regulation and the communication of distress. The results also have implications for practice: Maladaptive perfectionism should be assessed as a risk factor for NSSI, and teaching mindfulness may be an effective intervention for adolescents who engage in this high-risk behavior.