Non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of university students in Tehran, Iran: prevalence, characteristics and risk factors

Abstract

ABSTRACTDespite increased empirical and clinical attention to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in Western countries, far less is known about NSSI in non-Western cultures. This study is the first to investigate the prevalence, characteristics and risk factors of NSSI in a sample of university students in Tehran, Iran. All participants (n = 554, mean age = 22.65, 57.2% female) were asked to self-report on NSSI over their lifetime. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised were employed. A lifetime NSSI prevalence of 12.3% (n = 68) was found with no gender differences. Using logistic regression, lack of emotional awareness remained negatively significant for females after controling for anxiety, depression and suicidality; however, after controlling for the psychological symptoms, no relations were found between emotion dysregulation and a history of lifetime NSSI for male students. In a separate logistic regression, lifetime N...