An explanatory model of loneliness and suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents: the mediating role of non-suicidal self-injury
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The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of nonsuicidal self-injury in the relationship between loneliness (social and emotional) and suicidal ideation among Peruvian adolescents. A cross-sectional explanatory study was conducted with a sample of 434 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years from three public educational institutions. Validated instruments were used to assess loneliness, suicidal ideation, and nonsuicidal self-injury, and the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling with the robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimator. The results showed that both social and emotional loneliness were positively and significantly associated with suicidal ideation; furthermore, nonsuicidal self-injury mediated both relationships. Regarding gender differences, female adolescents reported higher levels of emotional loneliness, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation. It is concluded that adolescents who experience loneliness may engage in nonsuicidal self-injury as a maladaptive coping mechanism, which is associated with greater suicidal ideation.
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