@article{ref1,
title="Mediating effects of self-esteem in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: the roles of sex and only-child status",
journal="Social science and medicine (1982)",
year="2020",
author="Wang, Shanshan and Xu, Huiqiong and Zhang, Shichen and Wan, Yuhui and Tao, Fangbiao",
volume="249",
number="",
pages="e112847-e112847",
abstract="RATIONALE: Although childhood maltreatment is known to be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), few studies have investigated the mediating effect of self-esteem on this relationship. Additionally, it is unknown whether the impacts vary by sex or only-child status. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: We investigated the mediating effects of self-esteem on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and NSSI in adolescents and identified the significance of sex and only child status. <br><br>METHOD: An adolescent health survey was conducted in 15 schools in China between 2013 and 2014. In total, 9704 students aged 11-19 years completed standard questionnaires to report the details of childhood maltreatment, NSSI, and self-esteem. <br><br>RESULTS: Childhood maltreatment was negatively correlated with self-esteem and positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI. Lower self-esteem was also correlated with higher NSSI frequency. Self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and NSSI, and the estimated ratio of the total effect of childhood maltreatment that could be explained by mediation through self-esteem was 16.3%. The ratio was higher in boys (28.6%) than in girls (9.9%), and it was higher in only children (31.5%) than in children with siblings (11.0%). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Childhood maltreatment is positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI and may be mediated by self-esteem. Interventions aimed at reducing NSSI associated with childhood maltreatment may be enhanced by efforts to strengthen self-esteem, especially in boys and only children.<br><br>Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0277-9536",
doi="10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112847",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112847"
}