The factors associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) of adolescents have been widely researched. However, the underlying mechanism of the relationship between childhood trauma and NSSI is limited. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for NSSI among Chinese adolescents. Our hypothesis was that psychological sub-health (PSH) played a mediating role between childhood trauma and NSSI. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Sub-health Questionnaire of Adolescent, and the self-report NSSI were used to measure childhood trauma, PSH, and NSSI. Structural equation model (SEM) was performed to verify our hypothesis. The results showed that 33.9% of the participants in our survey had engaged in NSSI in the past year. Adolescents who were left-behind children or in primary schools were more likely to engage in NSSI. Additionally, 56.2% of the participants had moderate to severe childhood trauma, and 26.1% of the participants had PSH. Furthermore, childhood trauma and PSH would increase the risk of NSSI by 2 times (B = 0.79, p < 0.01) and 5 times (B = 1.64, p < 0.01), respectively. SEM was established (p = 0.512) and the goodness-of-fit indices were examined (CMIN/DF = 0.892; GFI = 0.997; AGFI = 0.992; NFI = 0.991; RFI = 0.980; IFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA < 0.001). The SEM indicated that childhood trauma positively predicted NSSI both directly and indirectly through PSH. PSH has been confirmed to have partial mediating effects between childhood trauma and NSSI. The assessment of PSH may be an operable and effective method to screen and predict NSSI. Meanwhile, the intervention of childhood trauma and PSH may effectively prevent and reduce the occurrence of NSSI among adolescents.

Background Alexithymia, which is characterized by difficulty identifying and describing feelings, is a stable personality trait and it has been associated with early life experiences. Methamphetamine dependence patients with high level of alexithymia may be particularly vulnerable to engaging in more frequent methamphetamine use. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether alexithymia was associated with frequency of methamphetamine use. Additionally, the current study sought to examine early-life factors associated with the development of alexithymia, i.e., parental rearing styles. Method Participants were 108 non-injecting methamphetamine dependent patients from a male compulsory detoxification center. The level of alexithymia was assessed by Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20(TAS-20). In addition, we applied Egna Minneu av. Bardndosnauppforstran (EMBU) to assess the parental rearing styles, including the dimensions of warmth, rejection, punishment/strictness, overinvolvement, overprotection, and favoring. Results The total score of TAS-20 was positively correlated with frequency of methamphetamine use (r = 0.26, p < 0.01). Specifically, except for externally oriented thinking, difficulty identifying feelings (r = 0.23, p < 0.05) and difficulty describing feelings (r = 0.25, p < 0.05) were positively correlated with frequency of methamphetamine use. Multiple linear regression showed that more maternal rejection (B = 0.59, p = 0.002), or less maternal warmth (B = -0.22, p = 0.004) was associated with higher levels of alexithymia. Ordinal logistic regression showed that for every 1 score increase in the total score of TAS-20, there was a 1.06 times risk of a one level increase in the level of methamphetamine use frequency (OR = 1.06, p = 0.01). Conclusions These results have major implications for understanding the role of alexithymia in craving and addiction, while providing a further and explicit entry point for addiction treatment. Moreover, more attention should be focused on parenting in relation to early experiences.