The relationships between sporadic and repetitive non-suicidal self-injury and mental disorders among first-year college students: results from the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with mental disorders, yet work regarding the direction of this association is inconsistent. We examined the prevalence, comorbidity, time-order associations with mental disorders, and sex differences in sporadic and repetitive NSSI among emerging adults.

Methods

We used survey data from n = 72,288 first-year college students as part of the World Mental Health-International College Student Survey Initiative (WMH-ICS) to explore time-order associations between onset of NSSI and mental disorders, based on retrospective age-of-onset reports using discrete-time survival models. We distinguished between sporadic (1-5 lifetime episodes) and repetitive (≥6 lifetime episodes) NSSI in relation to DSM-5 mood, anxie

SUBMITTER: Hasking P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12469815 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature