Resilience mediates the association between impulsivity and self-harm in Chinese adolescents

•Significant dose-response association exists between impulsivity and SH in Chinese adolescents.•Resilience played a salient role in mediating impulsivity-SH association.•Goal concentration and emotion regulation showed the strongest mediation among all dimensions of resilience.•Building up resilience of adolescents may reduce impulsivity related SH risk.