Perceived Social Interaction Anxiety as a Predictor of Self-Harm Urge: Self-Acceptance as a Shield Among University Students

Emmanuel Bamikole Agesin; Anthony Gbenro Balogun; Adamson Favour Oluwabukolami

doi:10.30762/happiness.v10i1.3752

Authors

Emmanuel Bamikole Agesin Department of Psychology, University of Ilorin Nigeria
Anthony Gbenro Balogun Department of Pure & Applied Psychology, Adekunle Alasin University Akungba Akoko Nigeria
Adamson Favour Oluwabukolami Department of Psychology, University of Ilorin Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30762/happiness.v10i1.3752

Keywords:

Self-Harm Urge, Social Interaction Anxiety, Self-Acceptance, Students

Abstract

This study focused on the mediating function of self-acceptance in the relationship between self-harm urges and social interaction anxiety among Nigerian undergraduates. Although anxiety related to social interactions has been identified as a risk factor for self-harming behavior, little research has examined this relationship in non-Western contexts. The study investigated university students in Nigeria to close this gap. 428 undergraduate students from the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, 112 males and 316 females, participated. They were selected using purposeful and convenient sampling methods. Strongly reliable standardized self-report measures were used to measure the urge to harm oneself (α =.96), social interaction anxiety (α =.92), and self-acceptance (α =.80). Regression and mediation analyses were used in the cross-sectional design to test the hypotheses. The results showed that self-harm urges were significantly predicted by social interaction anxiety (β =.234, t = 4.667, p <.01). Additionally, this relationship was found to be partially mediated by self-acceptance (β =.169, t = 3.454, p <.01). This lends credence to a dual pathway model, which demonstrates how social interaction anxiety both directly and indirectly influences self-harm by lowering self-acceptance. By bringing this dynamic to light in a non-Western cultural setting and bringing attention to undergraduates' psychological susceptibility, the study advances our understanding.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abharini, A., Rusmana, N., & Budiman, N. (2023). The development of self-acceptance in adolescents (Descriptive study of grade XI high school student in Subang. G-COUNS: Jurnal Bimbingan Dan Konseling, 8(1), 506–513. https://doi.org/10.31316/gcouns

Agesin, B. E. (2023). Interplay between prison environment and self-harm urge: The mediatory role of resilience among inmates in South-West Nigeria. Psychology and Mental Health Care, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.31579/2637-8892/203

Astuti, F. (2025). Kesehatan Mental Mahasiswa dalam Menyelesaikan Skripsi : Kontribusi Kecerdasan Spiritual dan Daya Juang. Personifikasi: Jurnal Ilmu Psikologi, 16(02), 96–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21107/personifikasi.v16i2.28112

Auerbach, R. P., Pagliaccio, D., Allison, G. O., Alqueza, K. L., & Alonso, M. F. (2020). Neural correlates associated with suicide and non-suicidal self-injury in youth. Biological Psychiatry, 89(2), 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.

Berger, E. M. (1952). The relation between expressed self-concept and acceptance of self. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 47(3), 556–558.

Bingöl, T. Y., & Batık, M. V. (2018). Unconditional Self-Acceptance and Perfectionistic Cognitions as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 7(1), 67–75. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.

Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Kiekens, G., Auerbach, R. P., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., & Collaborators. (2018). Mental health problems in college freshmen: Prevalence and academic functioning. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.044

Heimberg, R. G., Hofmann, S. G., Liebowitz, M. R., Schneier, F. R., Smits, J. A. J., & Stein, M. B. (2014). Social anxiety disorder in DSM-5. Depression and Anxiety, 31(6), 472–479. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22231

Hu, R., Peng, L.-L., Du, Y., Feng, Y.-W., Xie, L.-S., Shi, W., Jia, P., Jiang, L.-H., & Zhao, L. (2014). Reciprocal effect between non-suicidal self-injury and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1243885. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1243885

In, S., Hur, J.-W., Kim, G., & Lee, J.-H. (2021). Effects of distraction, cognitive reappraisal, and acceptance on the urge to self-harm and negative affect in nonsuicidal self-injury. Current Psychology, 42(11), 9063–9070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02151-2

Ineme, E. E., & Osinowo, A. B. (2015). Development and validation of prison inmates self-harm urges scale (Is-Hus): A psychometric study. Ife Psychologia, 23(1), 17–31.

Mattick, R. P., & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and Validation of Measures of Social Phobia Scrutiny Fear and Social Interaction Anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(97)10031-6

McManus, S., & Gunnell, D. (2019). Trends in mental health, non-suicidal self-harm and suicide attempts in 16–24-year-old students and non-students in England, 2000–2014. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(1), 125–128.

Nock, M. K. (2010). Self-injury. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 339–363. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131258

Oladeji, A., Kumolalo, B. F., Oluwole, L. O., Ajiboye, A. S., Dada, M. U., & Ebeyi, R. C. (2020). Substance use among adolescent’s high school students in Nigeria and its relationship with psychosocial factors. Journal of Research in Health Science, 20(2), 480. https://doi.org/10.34172/jrhs.2020.15

Oshodi, Y. O., Adeyemi, J. D., & Aina, O. F. (2015). Non-suicidal self-harm among young adults in Nigeria: A study of prevalence, correlates, and help-seeking behaviour. Journal of Adolescent Health, 57(4), 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.06.007

Rasyidin, U., Jasmadi, J., & Yasa, R. B. (2023). Adversity quotient dengan kecemasan dalam menyelesaikan skripsi pada mahasiswa UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh. Journal of Islamic and Contemporary Psychology (JICOP, 3(1s), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.25299/jicop.v3i1s.12365

Sarmini, S., Putri, A., Maria, C., Syahrias, L., & Mustika, I. (2023). Penyuluhan Mental Health Upaya Untuk Meningkatkan Kesehatan Mental Remaja. MONSU’ANI TANO Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 6(1), 154. https://doi.org/10.32529/tano.v6i1.2400

Shi, J., Gao, P., Zhou, B., & Huang, Z. (2025). A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety and non-suicidal self-injury based on knowledge graphs. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1493823. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1493823

Stallman, H. M. (2010). Psychological distress in university students: a comparison with general population data. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 249–257.

Statistics, N. B., & Health, F. M. (2018). National survey on drug use and health in Nigeria. https://nigerianstat.gov.ng/elibrary

Suratmini, D., Wardani, I. Y., Nasution, R. A., & Panjaitan, R. U. (2022). Relationship between Self-Stigma and Self-Harm Behaviour among Adolescent in Rehabilitation Units. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 18, 7–11.

Taliaferro, L. A., & Muehlenkamp, J. J. (2015). Risk factors associated with self-injurious behavior among a national sample of undergraduate college students. Journal of American College Health, 63(1), 40–48.

Vidourek, A. R. (2018). Non-suicidal self-injury and associated factors among college students. Journal of Behavioral Health, 7(4), 168–176.

Wilson, E., & Ougrin, D. (2021). Commentary: Defining self‐harm: how inconsistencies in language persist–a commentary/reflection on Ward and Curran (2021. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26(4), 372–374.

Xavier, A., Cunha, M., & Gouveia, P. J. (2021). Validation of the risk-taking and self-harm inventory for adolescents in a Portuguese community sample. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 52(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2018.

Yao, Z., Pang, L., Xie, J., Shi, S., & Ouyang, M. (2019). The relationship between social anxiety and self-injury of junior high school students: Mediation by intolerance of uncertainty and moderation by self-esteem. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1046729. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1046729

Zhong, J., Wang, A., Qian, M., Zhang, L., Gao, J., Yang, J., Li, B., & Chen, P. (2023). Shame, personality, and social anxiety symptoms in Chinese and American nonclinical samples: A cross-cultural study. Depression and Anxiety, 25(5), 449–460. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20358