Moderated Mediating Effect of Anxiety by Household Type on the Relationship between Daily Life Stress and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Adolescents

Background: This study examined the impact of adolescents’ daily life stress on non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents, focusing on the mediating role of anxiety and the moderated mediating effect of anxiety by household type (two-parent vs. single-parent households).Methods: This study utilized data from the Korean Teenagers’ Mental Health Study, conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute and applied the PROCESS macro method for analysis.Results: First, daily life stress significantly increased the likelihood of non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents. Second, anxiety played a full mediating role. Third, no significant difference was observed in the direct impact of daily life stress on non-suicidal self-injury between adolescents from two-parent and single-parent households. Fourth, the mediating effect of anxiety on the relationship between daily life stress and non-suicidal self-injury was more pronounced among adolescents in single-parent households than those in two-parent households.Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to deal with non-suicidal self-injuries among adolescents, particularly in the context of household type.