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The Impact of Perceived Emotional Invalidation on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among University Students: A Serial Mediation Model of Depression and Loneliness

Guide to Education Innovation / 2026,6(1): 1-10 / 2026-01-22 104 79

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• Authors: Bin Zhang Qiang Ren Xiaohong Gao*
• Information:

  China Three Gorges University, Yichang

• Keywords:
  Perceived emotional invalidation; Depression; Loneliness; Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
• Abstract: This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived emotional invalidation and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among university students, with a specific focus on the serial mediating effects of depression and loneliness. A cohort of 3,800 undergraduates participated in this survey-based research, utilizing standardized measures including the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for assessing depressive symptoms, the Perceived Emotional Invalidation Scale, and the Loneliness Scale. The results indicated three primary findings: (1) Significant positive correlations were observed among perceived emotional invalidation, depression, loneliness, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury; (2) Perceived emotional invalidation emerged as a substantial positive predictor of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury; (3) Depression and loneliness collectively functioned as sequential mediators in the association between emotional invalidation and self-injurious behaviors. In conclusion, perceived emotional invalidation influences Non-Suicidal Self-Injury through both direct pathways and indirect mechanisms mediated by depression and loneliness.
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.35534/gei.0601001 (registering DOI)
• Cite: Zhang, B., Ren, Q., & Gao, X. H. (2026). The Impact of Perceived Emotional Invalidation on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among University Students: A Serial Mediation Model of Depression and Loneliness. Guide to Education Innovation, 6(1), 1-10 .