Mediating Effect of Hopelessness between Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Spanish Adolescents

Introduction: Given the strong connection between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviour, recent research has explored the relationship between this type of behaviour and thwarted belongingness (TB), perceived burdensomeness (PB), and hopelessness (HS) in adolescent populations. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between TB, PB, HS, and NSSI, as well as the mediating role of HS between these variables using path analyses. Design: The final sample included N = 1733 adolescents (48.11% male, 51.89% female), aged 12-19 years (M = 14.87, SD = 1.58), residing in several regions of Spain and assessed transversally at school. Results: PB was positively associated with the frequency of NSSI (r = .394, p < .01) and HS (r = .618, p < .01). Moreover, HS was significantly and positively associated with the frequency of NSSI (r = .353, p < .01). Path analyses confirmed that PB had direct and indirect effects on NSSI, with HS acting as a mediator. The final structural model showed a good fit to the data (SBχ²(3) = 5.15, p = .161, CFI = .996, RMSEA = .020), explaining 38% of the variance in HS and 18% of the variance in NSSI. Conclusion/Discussion: PB is a strong predictor of NSSI, exerting both direct and indirect effects through the mediation of HS. Conversely, TB does not seem to predict NSSI in Spanish adolescents.