Variation in and Factors Associated with Youth Self-Harm in College Students - Jiangsu Province, China, 2019-2023

Introduction: Self-harm represents a significant public health challenge, particularly affecting young adults. This study evaluated prevalence rates and identified individual- and college-level risk factors for self-harm among college students in Jiangsu Province. Methods: Using data from the 'Surveillance for common disease and health risk factors among students in Jiangsu Province' program during 2019-2023, we employed multilevel logistic regression models to account for potential clustering within sampled colleges and to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for person- and college-level factors. Dynamic analyses were conducted with repeated modeling by year. Results: Youth self-harm rates fluctuated between 2.21% and 3.83% during the study period. Self-harm was strongly associated with unhealthy lifestyles, particularly internet addiction (OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.91, 3.24), while regular family psychological forums were associated with decreased risk (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.95). Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the necessity of on-campus psychosocial support and highlight the importance of leveraging family-college collective resources with targeted interventions, especially for high-risk groups exhibiting unhealthy lifestyles, particularly internet addiction.