Invalidating childhood environments and nonsuicidal self-injury in university students: Depression and mental pain as potential mediators

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential mediating effects of depression and psychache (i.e., extreme mental pain) on the relationship between parental invalidation and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in young adults.

Method: A sample of 2474 university students responded to previously validated measures of current NSSI, childhood parental invalidation, depression, and psychache.

Results: Using a parallel mediation model, path analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated full mediation by depression and psychache of the link between parental invalidation and NSSI.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that the association between invalidating childhood environments and NSSI has the potential to be mitigated by addressing issues of depression and psychache.