International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

Examining the Relationship between Guilt and Self-Blame with the Mediating Role of Loneliness in Creating Self-Harming Behaviors in Adolescents

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Elham Vahedi 1
Shokooh-Sadat Vajedi 2
Zahra Cheganinezhad 3
Marzieh Moradpour 4
Maryam Davood 2
1 Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Amol Branch, Amol, Iran
2 Department of Psychology, Quran and Atrat University, Isfahan, Iran
3 Department of Psychology, Nonprofit Danesh Alborz University, Qazvin, Iran
4 Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Yasuj Branch, Yasuj, Iran
10.30491/ijbs.2024.447007.2087
Abstract
Introduction: Self-injurious behaviors in adolescents are common among different cultures, and adolescents are more prone to self-harm than other age groups. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between guilt and self-blame and the mediating role of loneliness in creating self-harming behaviors in adolescents.
Method: This research employed a descriptive-correlational approach, utilizing a cross-sectional research method and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population of the research comprised all adolescent boys and girls living in Isfahan from July to October 2023. The sample size included 304 individuals. Clinics were selected using available sampling method and people were selected using simple random sampling method. The utilized tools for data collection included the Guilt Questionnaire, List of Behavioral problems BPI-01, Russell Loneliness Questionnaire (UCLA), and Self-Criticism Scale (FSCRS) scale. The research utilized SPSS version 27 for conducting descriptive statistics and SmartPLS version 3 for path analysis. Sobel's test was used to assess the significance of the mediator variable, with the significance level set at 0.05.
Results: The results of the study demonstrated that guilt affected self-harming behaviors directly and significantly (β=0.34, P<0.01). Self-blame had no significant effect on self-injurious behaviors (β=0.05, P=0.098); moreover, guilt positively and significantly affected loneliness (β=0.68, P<0.01). In addition, self-blame positively affected loneliness (β=0.24, P<0.01). Finally, the loneliness variable also had a positive, significant effect on the variable of self-harming behaviors (β=0.57, P<0.01). The results of the present research revealed that guilt and self-blame with the mediating role of loneliness had a significant effect on creating self-harming behaviors in adolescents.
Conclusion: The findings of the current research emphasize the importance of guilt and loneliness with the occurrence of self-harm behaviors and show that adolescents who have a high sense of guilt and blame increase the probability of self-harm behaviors when they are alone. The awareness of psychologists, counselors and specialists about this issue can be helpful to deal with and prevent self-harming behaviors in teenagers.
Keywords
Keywords: Guilt
Self-Blame
Loneliness
Self-Harming Behaviors
Adolescents
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International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 18, Issue 3
Autumn 2024
Pages 141-148