Perfectionism and Social Problem Solving as Predictors of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Ethnoracially Diverse College Students: Findings Controlling for Concomitant Suicide Risk

• Main Authors: Lucas, Abigael G., Chang, Edward C., Li, Mingqi, Chang, Olivia D., Hirsch, Jameson K.
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2019
• Subjects: social problems; college students; suicide risk; Psychology; Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5484; https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swz005

The present study was designed to examine the extent to which perfectionism and social problem solving add to the prediction model of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), independent of suicide risk, in a sample of 386 ethnoracially diverse college students. Moreover, the authors were interested in whether social problem solving, beyond perfectionism, would account for additional variance in their prediction model. Results indicated that social problem solving did account for significant variance in the prediction model of NSSI, above and beyond perfectionism. Moreover, on controlling for suicide risk, a possible confound for NSSI behaviors, social problem solving was found to account for an additional 4.0 percent of unique variance in the prediction of NSSI, beyond that accounted for by perfectionism. The present findings have theoretical implications for the literature on perfectionism and social problem solving, specifically in relation to NSSI. In addition, the present findings have practical implications for social workers who work with college students engaging in NSSI behaviors.