Analysis of relationships between impulsivity emotion regulation and resilience with mental health components in university students with self-harm behaviors

the present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the relationship between impulsivity, resilience and emotion regulation with the components of mental health in university students with self-harm behaviors.

The present research is descriptive and correlational. The initial sample was 508 undergraduate students of Guilan University in the academic year of 2018-2019, which completed the Self-harm Questionnaire, the short form of Psychological Symptoms Questionnaire, the short form of the Impulsivity Scale, the Emotional Regulation Scale, the short form of resilience scale. Based on the results of the self-harm questionnaire, 295 people with at least 1 history of self-harm were selected as samples. Data analysis was done by canonical correlation method.

The results showed that research variables had a significant conical correlation with mental health components including anxiety, depression and somatization in students with self-harm behaviors and the correlation coefficient was equal to 0.80. This correlation was positive with impulsivity and emotion regulation variables and negative with resilience (P<0.001). Also, 64% of changes in mental health components can be predicted. The highest canonical weight belonged to resilience (0.63) and depression (-0.62).

According to the results of this study, impulsivity, emotion regulation and resilience affect the mental health components of students with self-harm behaviors and in this way they can increase self-harm behaviors. The variable of resilience plays the most important role in this regard, so by resilience training to students when entering this course, self-harming behaviors and other mental health problems can be prevented.