Relationship between Temperament and Character Traits, Emotional Regulation Components and Perceived Parenting with Adolescent Self-harming Behavior, Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Objectives The current study investigated the structural relationship between Self-Injurious Behavior in adolescents,Temperament,Emotion Regulation, perceived parenting. Methods The study was conducted in 2017-2018 consisting of 396 students (male and female) with their age ranging from 13 to 17 years old. They were selected by using the Cluster sampling method, and were assessed on Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), social problem-solving (SPSI-SF), and depression and anxiety symptoms (BAI and BDI-II). For data analysis, Pearson conduct coefficient, structural equation modeling, and boot stooping methods were conducted. Results: The results of the model confirmed the relationship between variables and adolescent self-harm behaviors. Novelty seeking and cognitive emotion regulation strategies had a direct and positive relationship with self-harming behavior. Although harm avoidance and authoritarian parenting did not have a direct effect on self-harming behaviors, they mediated cognitive emotion regulation strategies that affected adolescent self-harming behaviors. Overall, maladaptive emotion regulation and novelty seeking were able to predict 22% of the variance in self-injury. Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate the role of personality and family structures presented in theories such as emotion regulation and parenting theory and suggest that the novelty seeking factor that recognized by Cloninger as an inherent characteristic plays an important role in adolescentschr('39') tendency to self-harming behaviors that can be used as a predictor of such behaviors. Tyrannical parenting also influences the behavior and thoughts of adolescents in self-injury behaviors. Of course, this style is able to drive adolescents to self-harm behaviors through the impact on the formation and stability of emotional adjustment strategies and it doesnchr('39')t play a direct role in these behaviors.