Childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: a moderated mediation model of psychological suzhi and inferiority complex

Childhood maltreatment is a rising social issue worldwide. Notably, childhood maltreatment is suggested to incur non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), which is also considered as a profound public health concern, especially among Chinese youth and adolescence. Although the relationship between the two has been reported, little is known about the roles of psychological suzhi and inferiority complex in it. The current study aimed to examine the link between childhood maltreatment and NSSI among Chinese adolescents, and determine the mediating role of inferiority complex and the moderating effect of psychological suzhi. A total of 648 students (55.6% female; M-age = 14.59) were guided to complete the self-report questionnaires regarding the mentioned study variables. Results demonstrated that childhood maltreatment was positively related with NSSI, and inferiority complex mediated such association. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) results showed that the effect of high childhood maltreatment on NSSI was weaker for adolescents who reported high psychological suzhi. In addition, the effect of inferiority on NSSI was also weaker for adolescents with high psychological suzhi. The current study demonstrated the indirect effects of inferiority complex and psychological suzhi in the link between childhood maltreatment and NSSI, advancing our understanding of the potential mechanism of such link.