Influence of academic stress and school bullying on self-harm behaviors among Chinese middle school students: The mediation effect of depression and anxiety

Huijuan Guo · Haiyan Chen · Xia Cao · Jiali Liu · Xianliang Chen · Yusheng Tian +3 more

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Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression Student Stress and Coping

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between academic stress, school bullying and self-harm behaviors among Chinese middle school students and to further explore the impact of anxiety and depression on this relationship. Methods: The students (aged 12-16 years) in a middle school in Changsha city were invited to respond to a questionnaire through an online platform. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used to assess the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. The experience of being bullied, academic stress, and self-harm behaviors were assessed using several questions on the basis of previous studies. Results: A total of 1,313 middle school students completed the study, and 3.40% and 4.10% of them reported suicide attempts (SAs) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.18-1.28; OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.19-1.31), depressive symptoms (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.16-1.25; OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.20-1.31), school bullying (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.11-6.89; OR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.39-5.47), and academic stress (OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.27-3.80; OR = 3.80, 95% CI: 1.20-7.25) were common factors of NSSI and SAs. In addition, depressive symptoms showed a mediating effect on the association of school bullying and academic stress with SAs or NSSI, and anxiety symptoms showed a mediating effect on the association of school bullying and academic stress with NSSI only. Conclusion: Appropriate strategies are needed to reduce academic pressure and prevent school bullying. Meanwhile, negative emotions such as depression and anxiety should be evaluated and intervened in to prevent self-harm behaviors among middle school students.

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References

2001The PHQ-9 2006A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2001Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth 2019The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education 2020Medical students’ motivation and academic performance: the mediating roles of self-efficacy and learning engagement 2015The DSM-5 diagnosis of nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: a review of the empirical literature 2021Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying: Prevalence, the effect on mental health problems and self-harm behavior 2013Effects of Parental Warmth and Academic Pressure on Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents

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