Relationship between perfectionism and traumatic experiences with non-suicidal self- injurious behaviors: A mediating role of psychological Hardiness

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural model of explaining non-suicidal self-harming behaviors based on perfectionism and traumatic experiences with the mediating role of psychological hardiness. The design of the present study was applied and correlational research by structural equation modeling. Among all undergraduate students in Tehran universities, 529 (411 girls and 118 boys) were selected by cluster random sampling. They all completed questionnaires on self-harm, moral perfectionism, traumatic experiences, and psychological hardiness. Pearson correlation methods and structural equation modeling using SPSSV19 and AMOSV18 software were used to analyze the data. The results showed that both the variables of moral perfectionism and traumatic experiences had direct and significant effects on psychological toughness and self-harming behaviors. Psychological hardiness also had a direct and significant effect on self-harming behaviors. In addition, the results showed that the two variables of moral perfectionism and traumatic experiences have an indirect and significant effect on self-harming behaviors (P <0.01). Finally, the results of this study showed that moral perfectionism and harmful experiences have a significant effect on self-harming behaviors due to stubbornness, and therefore the knowledge of psychologists, counselors and other experts about this model to improve self-harming behaviors can be helpful.