What the study found
The study found three profiles of harsh parenting: consistently high, medium, and low. Across these profiles, harsh parenting was indirectly associated with non-suicidal self-injury through parental alienation and core self-evaluation, and the indirect patterns differed in size and pathway by profile.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings may inform tailored intervention efforts. They suggest the profile-specific risk patterns could be useful for understanding links between harsh parenting and non-suicidal self-injury among young adults.
What the researchers tested
The researchers studied 5,742 college students recruited through convenience sampling at three time points, each three months apart. They used latent profile analysis, a method for grouping people with similar patterns, and profile-specific serial mediation analysis to examine whether parental alienation and core self-evaluation explained the associations.
What worked and what didn't
Three parenting profiles were identified: consistently high harsh parenting, medium harsh parenting, and low harsh parenting. Harsh parenting showed indirect associations with non-suicidal self-injury through parental alienation and core self-evaluation across all profiles, but the magnitude and specific indirect pathways varied by profile.
What to keep in mind
The study used convenience sampling of college students, so the abstract does not indicate how broadly the findings apply beyond this group. The available summary also does not describe other limitations.
Key points
- Three harsh parenting profiles were identified: consistently high, medium, and low.
- Harsh parenting was indirectly associated with non-suicidal self-injury in all profiles.
- Parental alienation and core self-evaluation statistically explained parts of the association.
- The indirect pathways differed in magnitude and pattern across profiles.
- The sample included 5,742 college students assessed at three waves over nine months.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Harsh parenting profiles were linked to non-suicidal self-injury
- Authors:
- Meng Bai, Xiaoqiong Li, Xueqi Yang
- Institutions:
- Henan Normal University, Renmin University of China, South China Normal University, Zhejiang Tongji Vocational College of Science and Technology
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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