The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the associations between parenting styles, borderline personality traits, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents with depression, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for targeted psychological interventions.MethodsThis study included 101...

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Main Authors: Yuanyuan Dai, Ping Yang, Wensai Ji, Liang Diao, Lu Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1620872/full
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author Yuanyuan Dai
Ping Yang
Wensai Ji
Liang Diao
Lu Han
author_facet Yuanyuan Dai
Ping Yang
Wensai Ji
Liang Diao
Lu Han
author_sort Yuanyuan Dai
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the associations between parenting styles, borderline personality traits, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents with depression, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for targeted psychological interventions.MethodsThis study included 101 adolescent patients with depressive episodes admitted to the Fourth People’s Hospital of Wuhu City, Anhui Province, from May 2022 to October 2023 (23 males and 78females). Two attending physicians or those of higher ranks diagnosed these patients as having depressive episodes based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).Data were collected using the Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior Assessment Questionnaire, the Parental Rearing Style Evaluation Scale, and relevant items from the Borderline Personality Questionnaire for survey administration.ResultsThe frequent NSSI group showed significantly higher scores than the non-frequent group in paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, and total borderline personality traits (all P<0.01, Cohen’s d>0.2). Additionally, the frequent NSSI group exhibited greater paternal overprotection and maternal rejection/denial (both P<0.05, Cohen’s d>0.2). Significant positive correlations were observed between NSSI scores and paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, maternal rejection/denial, and borderline personality traits (all P<0.01), while paternal overprotection was positively correlated with NSSI scores (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, and borderline personality traits as independent risk factors for NSSI behaviors (all P<0.05).ConclusionThese findings suggest that paternal rejection and denial, maternal overprotection and interference, and borderline personality traits may be associated with adolescent NSSI behaviors. The results provide valuable insights for clinicians to better understand the psychosocial contributing factors of NSSI, highlighting that future intervention strategies should consider the combined effects of family parenting patterns and adolescents’ personality characteristics. This study employed a cross - sectional design, which rendered it impossible to establish the multiple causal relationships among parental parenting styles, borderline personality traits, and non - suicidal self - injury (NSSI) behaviors, as well as to analyze the mediating effects between these variables. Future research could integrate multiple research methodologies, such as combining cross - sectional and longitudinal studies.
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spelling doaj-art-462bac4c791b4631a24295b3f76aa0e62025-08-20T11:30:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-08-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.16208721620872The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traitsYuanyuan Dai0Ping Yang1Wensai Ji2Liang Diao3Lu Han4Wuhu Fourth People's Hospital, Wuhu, ChinaSuzhou Guangji Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, ChinaNo.971 Hospital Of The People’s Liberation Army Navy, Qingdao, ChinaQingdao Shinan District Education Support Center, Qingdao, ChinaQingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, ChinaIntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the associations between parenting styles, borderline personality traits, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents with depression, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for targeted psychological interventions.MethodsThis study included 101 adolescent patients with depressive episodes admitted to the Fourth People’s Hospital of Wuhu City, Anhui Province, from May 2022 to October 2023 (23 males and 78females). Two attending physicians or those of higher ranks diagnosed these patients as having depressive episodes based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).Data were collected using the Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior Assessment Questionnaire, the Parental Rearing Style Evaluation Scale, and relevant items from the Borderline Personality Questionnaire for survey administration.ResultsThe frequent NSSI group showed significantly higher scores than the non-frequent group in paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, and total borderline personality traits (all P<0.01, Cohen’s d>0.2). Additionally, the frequent NSSI group exhibited greater paternal overprotection and maternal rejection/denial (both P<0.05, Cohen’s d>0.2). Significant positive correlations were observed between NSSI scores and paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, maternal rejection/denial, and borderline personality traits (all P<0.01), while paternal overprotection was positively correlated with NSSI scores (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified paternal rejection/denial, maternal overprotection/interference, and borderline personality traits as independent risk factors for NSSI behaviors (all P<0.05).ConclusionThese findings suggest that paternal rejection and denial, maternal overprotection and interference, and borderline personality traits may be associated with adolescent NSSI behaviors. The results provide valuable insights for clinicians to better understand the psychosocial contributing factors of NSSI, highlighting that future intervention strategies should consider the combined effects of family parenting patterns and adolescents’ personality characteristics. This study employed a cross - sectional design, which rendered it impossible to establish the multiple causal relationships among parental parenting styles, borderline personality traits, and non - suicidal self - injury (NSSI) behaviors, as well as to analyze the mediating effects between these variables. Future research could integrate multiple research methodologies, such as combining cross - sectional and longitudinal studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1620872/fullnon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)parental stylesadolescentsborderline personality traitsmental healthdepressive episode
spellingShingle Yuanyuan Dai
Ping Yang
Wensai Ji
Liang Diao
Lu Han
The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
Frontiers in Psychiatry
non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
parental styles
adolescents
borderline personality traits
mental health
depressive episode
title The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
title_full The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
title_fullStr The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
title_full_unstemmed The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
title_short The correlation between non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents, parenting styles, and borderline personality traits
title_sort correlation between non suicidal self injury in adolescents parenting styles and borderline personality traits
topic non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
parental styles
adolescents
borderline personality traits
mental health
depressive episode
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1620872/full
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