The Effect of Parental Marital Status on Non-suicidal Self-injurious Behavior Among Middle School Students in Rural Western China: A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study Based on Propensity Score Matching Method

Xiaohong Ren¹pan Lu²Yuqin Song²Ping He²Dapeng Wu²Jiaming Luo^2*

• ¹Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
• ²North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China

Parental marital status serves as a pivotal determinant of adolescent maladaptive behaviors. Nevertheless, the specific correlation between parental marital status and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) among adolescents in western China has not been thoroughly investigated. Additionally, logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between divorce status and the prevalence of NSSI. We used the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory (OSI)and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21)to assessed adolescents' mental health and self-injury, Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to control for confounders between divorced and non-divorced groups. A total of 7,274 students with non-divorced parents and 1,332 students with divorced parents participated in the assessment. The prevalence of NSSI was found to be 4.1% in the group with non-divorced parents, compared to 1.6% in the group with divorced parents. After applying PSM, Parental divorce was associated with a higher odds ratio . Similarly, depression and anxiety were also linked to an increased likelihood of engaging in NSSI. Mediation analysis revealed that emotional distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) did not significantly mediate the association between parental divorce and NSSI. Furthermore, girls and age were identified as significant predictors of NSSI behavior. Adolescents from divorced families tend to have a higher incidence of NSSI. Both families and society must give greater attention to the psychological well-being of these young individuals.