Promoting mental health in higher education: towards a model of well-being factors in emerging adulthood.

PURPOSE: This study aims to contribute to the development of a theoretical model that is useful for enhancing well-being/positive mental health with pedagogical resources that enable the acquisition of skills and knowledge, particularly during Emerging Adulthood. METHODS: This paper enquires into the role of well-being promotion in higher education following the dual-factor model of mental health difficulties and wellbeing. The study narratively reviews the main well-being models and presents a compared theoretical synthesis examining the dimensions that promote or facilitate the presence of well-being using a promotion approach. RESULTS: The study identifies 14 dimensions involved in wellbeing-emotional, psychological and social factors-that can be potentially improved through learning processes. Drawing on empirical and theoretical studies on emerging adult population, a factorial model is proposed. Preliminary factor interactions are examined paying close attention to the cognitive processes that explain or affect their relationship with well-being, the possible correlations between them and particularities of emerging adults. CONCLUSION: Wellbeing factors can be particularly targeted by educational promotion, as they can be developed through learning processes. An integrative model that provides a broad perspective can assist in pedagogical design and defining educational goals for these learning processes involved in wellbeing promotion.

The Influence of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Neglect on Love Addiction: The Indirect Effect of Vulnerable Narcissism Among Female and Male Emerging Adults.

Childhood maltreatment is a key precursor to vulnerable narcissism since it likely lead to a narcissistic injury that triggers defenses against rage and abandonment. In later life, this pattern may contribute to a maladaptive model of love relationships. The present study explored the association between different types of childhood maltreatment (i.e., emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect) and love addiction via vulnerable narcissism in a community sample of 505 cisgender emerging adults (M = 24.90, SD = 2.67; 76.6% assigned female at birth (AFAB); 68.5% heterosexual) residing in Italy. Data collection relied on self-report questionnaires administered online through the Qualtrics platform, and study hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect directly influenced love addiction, while physical and sexual abuse, as well as physical neglect, showed no significant effects. Greater childhood emotional abuse and neglect were associated with increased vulnerable narcissism, leading to higher levels of love addiction. Gender differences emerged, with the indirect effect of vulnerable narcissism on the relationship between emotional neglect and love addiction significant only for AFAB. The findings emphasize the risk of love addiction in emerging adults with a history of childhood emotional abuse and neglect, highlighting the importance of addressing childhood emotional maltreatment and vulnerable narcissistic personality traits in interventions to treat this condition.

Prevalence and correlates of disordered eating at a large state university before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Emerging adulthood is a transitory period in which disordered eating (DE) manifests; collecting data on the prevalence of DE among this population as well as demographic and behavioral correlates are important public health goals. METHODS: Data from an annual survey of undergraduate students at a large state university from 2019 to 2022 were analyzed, allowing researchers to compare prevalence and correlates before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic using two brief screeners: the SCOFF and Eating Disorder Screener for Primary Care (ESP). We hypothesized that rates of DE would be greater after the onset of COVID-19 as compared to before. We also hypothesized that those identifying as women, reporting higher alcohol or drug use, and contemplating suicide would have greater odds of reporting symptoms consistent with DE. RESULTS: DE was significantly lower in pre-pandemic years compared to pandemic years: ESP pre = 38.01%(n = 704), pandemic = 48.79%(n = 645), p < 0.001; SCOFF pre = 22.82%(n = 422), pandemic = 31.46%(n = 414), p < 0.001. Logistic regressions showed women and students who contemplated suicide reported significantly greater DE, regardless of screener or time period. Inconsistent relationships were found between DE and current substance use. CONCLUSION: These findings may inform targeted interventions for those most vulnerable to disordered eating.

It is important to track the rates of disordered eating (DE) in vulnerable populations like emerging adults (those who are between the ages of 18 and 25). Many emerging adults attend college, and during this time DE may occur. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to situations, like being isolated from friends and family, that we assume could increase DE. To present data on the rates of DE before and after the start of COVID-19, researchers collected data on whether college students engaged in DE two years before the start of COVID-19 (2019, 2020) and two after COVID-19 (2021, 2022). They considered whether characteristics of the student, like whether they were a man or woman or their race, were related to DE. DE increased significantly after COVID-19. Using one questionnaire, DE was about 38% before COVID-19 and increased to nearly 50% after COVID-19. Across all four years, women and students who thought about suicide were more likely to report DE. It is important to direct resources to students who are experiencing DE ­ which we now know could be as many as 50%. DE contributes to health problems and can worsen over time, leading to a life-threatening eating disorder.

Cascade effects of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on three health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood.

Using data from a 15-year longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of a parenting-focused preventive intervention for divorced families (N = 240) with children aged 9-12, the current study examined alternative cascading pathways through which the intervention led to improvements in offspring's perceived health problems, BMI, and cigarette smoking in emerging adulthood. It was hypothesized that the program would lead to improvements in these health-related outcomes during emerging adulthood through progressive associations between program-induced changes in parenting and offspring outcomes, including mental health problems, substance use, and competencies. Intervention-induced improvements in positive parenting at posttest led to improvements in mental health problems in late childhood/early adolescence, which led to lower levels of mental health and substance use problems as well as higher levels of competencies in adolescence, which led to improvements in the health-related outcomes. Academic performance predicted all three health-related outcomes and other aspects of adolescent functioning showed different relations across outcomes. Results highlight the potential for intervention effects of preventive parenting interventions in childhood to cascade over time to affect health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood.

Neuroticism Is Prospectively Associated With 30-Month Changes in Broadband Internalizing Symptoms, but Not Narrowband Positive Affect or Anxious Arousal, in Emerging Adulthood.

Elevated levels of Neuroticism/Negative Emotionality (N/NE) and, less consistently, lower levels of Extraversion/Positive Emotionality (E/PE) confer risk for pathological depression and anxiety. To date, most prospective-longitudinal research has narrowly focused on traditional diagnostic categories, creating uncertainty about the precise nature of these prospective associations. Adopting an explicitly hierarchical-dimensional approach, we examined the association between baseline variation in personality and longitudinal changes in broad and narrow internalizing-symptom dimensions in 234 emerging adults followed for 2.5 years, during the transition from older adolescence to early adulthood. N/NE was uniquely associated with increases in broadband internalizing-the core cognitive and affective symptoms that cut across the emotional disorders-and unrelated to the narrower dimensions of positive affect and anxious arousal that differentiate specific internalizing presentations. Variation in E/PE and several other Big Five traits was cross-sectionally, but not prospectively, related to longitudinal changes in specific internalizing symptoms. Exploratory personality-facet-level analyses provided preliminary evidence of more granular associations between personality and longitudinal changes in internalizing symptoms. These observations enhance the precision of models linking personality to internalizing illness; highlight the centrality of N/NE to increases in transdiagnostic internalizing symptoms during a key developmental chapter; and set the stage for developing more effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Depressive symptoms, avoidant coping, and alcohol use: differences based on gender and posttraumatic stress disorder in emerging adults.

Trauma exposure and alcohol use often co-occur. Unveiling predictors of drinking behavior, including among those with varying levels of trauma exposure, can inform behavioral health prevention and treatment efforts in at-risk populations. The current study examined associations between depressive symptoms, avoidant coping, gender, and alcohol use among emerging adults with and without trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants were 238 emerging adults between the ages of 21 and 30 years (M = 24.75; SD = 2.61) in one of three groups: trauma-exposed with PTSD (n = 70); trauma-exposed with no PTSD (n = 83); or a no trauma (control) group (n = 85). Demographics, parental alcohol problems, depressive symptoms, and avoidant coping were examined as predictors of drinks per drinking day. Chi-square, t-test, bivariate, and group path analysis were conducted. Among participants, men consumed greater amounts of alcohol than women across all three groups. Group assignment based on trauma history and PTSD significantly moderated the association between avoidant coping and alcohol use such that avoidant coping had a significant effect on alcohol use among participants in the trauma-exposed and PTSD groups. There was also a significant group × gender × avoidant coping interaction such that, among participants in the control group, men had attenuated alcohol use at low levels of avoidant coping and increased at high levels of avoidant coping. No effects of race were observed. Results highlight the importance of avoidant coping as a risk factor for problematic drinking, unveiling a specific intervention target for reducing co-occurring PTSD and problematic alcohol use.

Mentalized Affectivity, Helicopter Parenting, and Psychopathological Risk in Emerging Adults: A Network Analysis.

Emerging adulthood represents a critical stage characterized by heightened risks for anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms development. Research has shown that difficulties in emotional identification, expression, and processing, as well as dysfunctional parenting styles, may exacerbate symptoms in emerging adults. The present study aimed at examining the interplay between mentalized affectivity (i.e., emotional identification, processing, and expression), helicopter parenting, and psychopathological risk in 913 Italian cisgender emerging adults (M = 24.34, SD = 2.81; 71.20% assigned female at birth), using network analysis. The results indicated moderate to strong associations between psychopathological symptoms, with emotional processing difficulties significantly associated with general anxiety, depression, and, to a lesser extent, somatization. Additionally, increased degrees of helicopter parenting from mothers were linked to increased psychopathology and higher emotional processing difficulties. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing the interconnection between symptoms and emotional processing to prevent and treat psychopathological risks in emerging adults. Moreover, interventions targeting intrusive and overprotecting parenting behaviors may promote well-being among emerging adults.

The Role of Acculturative Stress on the Mental Health of Immigrant Youth: A Scoping Literature Review.

Acculturation after settlement has been identified as a risk factor affecting the mental health of immigrant youth. Increasing rates of immigration and expanding populations of immigrant youth mean that addressing their mental is a priority. Acculturative stress is the stress-response resulting from the effects of multiple stressors that result from the need to acculturate. Among youth within the developmental stages of late adolescence and emerging adulthood, increased sensitivity to stress, and developmental demands, impact their mental health. The effects of acculturative stress place an additional burden on the mental health of immigrant youth. This scoping review examined existing literature that investigated a variety of relationships between acculturative stress and youth mental health. A comprehensive search strategy that focused on studies involving youth, mainly aged between 15-24, with a proximal history of international migration, published between 2012-2022, resulted in a collection of fifty-three studies. This review examined significant relationships between acculturative stress and major depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance misuse, behavioural problems and poor psychological wellbeing. This scoping review was truly explorative as it included youth from immigrant minorities, had no geographical limits, and included various study designs. Acculturative stress continues to be an important contributor to the mental health of youth who have a proximal history of international migration. This review provided an exploration of the state of research, identified the importance of the settlement context, and provided recommendations for the direction of future studies, supportive policies, and practice considerations, related to the mental health of immigrant youth.

Adverse childhood experiences: A health risk in emerging adulthood.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) represent a child's exposure to negative events that are detrimental to their mental and physical health. Despite this, very few studies have focused on the relationship between ACEs and physical health problems, in non-English-speaking populations and in emerging adulthood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the cumulative and differential impact of ACEs on diverse physical health problems in a Spanish population. Participants were 648 young adults (22% men), between the ages of 18 and 30 (mean age = 21.37, SD = 3.11), who completed the ACE Questionnaire and answered some questions about their health (e.g. asthma, obesity, global health). From the cumulative perspective, ACEs had a significant relationship with global health and asthma. Additionally, the differential approach revealed some specific ACEs related to three out of five health outcomes. Therefore, early detection of ACEs is of paramount importance to reduce their impact.

Parental substance use disorders and psychiatric conditions in offspring: A Swedish population-based cohort study with over 1,000,000 individuals.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to parental substance use problems has been associated with offsprings poor health and adverse social outcomes. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to parental substance use disorder (SUD) during childhood, and adolescence and offspring psychiatric conditions in young adulthood. METHOD: This was a register-based cohort study comprising 562,095 males and 531,130 females born between 1981 and 1990 in Sweden. Parental SUD was captured between the offspring's birth and eighteenth birthday. Cox regression models were used to estimate the Hazard Ratio (HR) of psychiatric conditions from age 18 years to a maximum age of 35 years, from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2016. RESULTS: About 4% of the study population was exposed to parental SUD during childhood and adolescence. The HR of psychiatric diagnosis was higher in males (1.80, 95% CI = 1.77-1.85) and females (1.56, 95% CI = 1.51-1.60) who were exposed to parental SUD, compared to those who were not; after adjusting for year of birth, domicile, origin, relative poverty, and other parental psychiatric diagnoses. The risks of psychiatric conditions were higher among males and females exposed to parental SUD during childhood compared to during adolescence. CONCLUSION: Exposure to parental SUD during childhood and adolescence was associated with an increased risk of psychiatric conditions in early adulthood for both males and females. Neither origin, poverty, municipality, or other parental psychiatric diagnoses fully explained the association. These risks seemed to be somewhat higher among males, and among those exposed during childhood when compared to during adolescence.

Violent Victimization in Emerging Adulthood and Its Longitudinal Impacts on Well-Being: A Study of Ever-Homeless Persons.

Persons who have experienced homelessness have higher lifetime risks of violent victimization relative to the general population. However, the long-term impacts of violent victimization on various facets of well-being are poorly understood among ever-homeless persons, particularly when violence is experienced in early adulthood. Here, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we focus on a subsample of emerging adults who reported ever suffering homelessness (N = 481). Drawing primarily from Waves III and IV of the data, a series of regression models are specified to determine whether violent victimization in emerging adulthood is related to a range of negative outcomes later in life among ever-homeless persons (economic hardship, binge drinking, drug use, depression, offending, and victimization). Results indicate that victimization in emerging adulthood increases the risks for subsequent victimization for ever-homeless persons, but that it has no robust associations with any other outcomes examined. We explain these findings through processes of disadvantage saturation, in which the consequences of victimization may be more subdued among individuals who experience an array of hardships and disadvantages in their lives. The implications of these findings for policy are future research are discussed, and we emphasize the need for a context-contingent approach to the study of victimization and its life course consequences.

Social connection interventions and depression in young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Early adulthood is a period which may increase vulnerability to loneliness and mental health difficulties among young adults. Social networks play an important role in buffering against adverse mental health, but there is a lack of evidence around whether social connection interventions could play a role in preventing mental health difficulties for young adults. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023395595). PubMed, PsycInfo, and Scopus were searched (01 January 2000-01 January 2023). Studies were eligible if they (i) were quantitative, (ii) included young adults (18-24 years) from the general population, (iii) tested a social intervention which aimed to increase the quantity or quality of social connections or reduce loneliness, (iv) had a comparison group, and (v) measured depression and loneliness/social connection as outcomes. Following study screening and selection, the data extraction and risk of bias assessments were independently conducted in duplicate. The Cochrane RoB-2 tool and ROBINS-I tool were used to assess risk of bias. Results were narratively synthesised and random effects meta-analysis with standardised mean differences was conducted. RESULTS: Six studies were included; four in-person interventions with higher education students, one online intervention with higher education students, and one intervention for youth involved in street life. The studies were mostly rated as having some or moderate concerns with risk of bias. The interventions were associated with an overall mean reduction in depression for young adults (SMD = -0.19; 95% CI, -0.33 to -0.05; p = 0.008; 4 studies, excluding studies with serious risk of bias). All interventions had beneficial effects on a range of diverse social connection outcomes, but there was no overall statistically significant mean reduction in loneliness for young adults in pooled analyses (SMD = -0.10; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.05; p = 0.188; 3 studies). CONCLUSION: Social connection interventions show some promise in improving depression and social connection outcomes in young adults but more high-quality research, across diverse settings, is needed in this area.

Social Media Use, Emotional Investment, Self-Control Failure, and Addiction in Relation to Mental and Sleep Health in Hispanic University Emerging Adults.

The number of social media users has increased dramatically in recent years. Common correlates of social media use may be poor mental and sleep health which are pressing issues among emerging adults and Hispanic groups. This study investigated the relationships between five different forms of social media use and mental and sleep health in Hispanic university emerging adults. Hispanic university emerging adults (n = 358) completed a survey assessing sociodemographics, overall social media use frequency, nighttime in-bed social media use, social media addiction, social media self-control failure, emotional investment in social media, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality. Findings demonstrated that social media addiction and social media self-control failure were positively associated with stress and poor sleep quality. Emotional investment in social media was positively associated with depression. Findings may suggest that Hispanic university emerging adults may use social media emotionally and problematically to cope with negative affect and poor sleep quality, or that negative affect and poor sleep quality stem from using social media emotionally and problematically. The clinical implications of these results are discussed. Prospective studies are warranted to assess temporality.

Nonparticipation in Work and Education in Emerging Adulthood and Depressive Symptoms through Early Midlife.

More than one-in-eight young adults in the US between the ages of 16 to 24 were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in 2020 - a level not seen since the Great Recession. This study examines the long-term association between NEET status in emerging adulthood and later depressive symptoms using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1995-2018). Growth curve models chart the association between NEET status and depressive symptoms over time in the US. The analytic sample includes 9,349 individuals and 28,047 person-wave observations for respondents between ages 18 to 43. In a fully specified model, respondents who reported NEET status in emerging adulthood (ages 18-26), exhibited greater depressive symptoms across emerging adulthood through early midlife (ages 33-43) (b=0.44, 95% CI 0.33, 0.54) compared to those participating in employment, education, or training. Associations persisted even after accounting for early life disadvantage and using propensity score matching to further diminish possible sources of bias. Results indicate that disconnection from school and work during emerging adulthood may constitute a risk factor for depressive symptoms through early midlife.

Family therapy for emerging adults with anorexia nervosa: Expert opinion on evidence, practice considerations, and future directions.

Various forms of eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) have been developed and evaluated for adolescents. FT-ED for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) focuses on empowering parents/carers with the knowledge and skills required to facilitate recovery for their child. The recent trend and increased awareness of the period between adolescence and adulthood during ages 18-25, known as 'emerging adulthood', has brought into question whether the traditional treatment approach for adults with AN, that is, individual therapies, is the most appropriate approach for this age group. This paper briefly outlines the current forms FT-ED for emerging adults with AN and examines the evidence for each. We then present considerations for tailoring FT-ED for emerging adults with AN across three broad domains: structure and set-up, process, and content. Finally, we present suggestions on how to troubleshoot common pitfalls that may be encountered, such as reluctance to include parents in treatment. Future research should examine which forms of FT-ED are best for which emerging adults and families and under what contexts. There is also a need to explore the incorporation of technology into sessions with families who live apart.

The Indirect Effect of Future Anxiety on the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Depression in a Convenience Sample of Adults: Revisiting Social Cognitive Theory.

Background/Objectives: Depression and anxiety are prevalent disorders, particularly during emerging adulthood. Uncertainty about the future, exacerbated by unstable times, can lead to heightened future anxiety in this group. This study aimed to examine the complex associations of depression symptoms, future anxiety, and self-efficacy in adults from Poland. Additionally, we investigated age and gender differences in depression symptoms, future anxiety, and self-efficacy. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey study was performed in 2023 in Poland using snowball sampling. A convenience sample of 284 adults participated in this study, ranging in age between 18 and 65 years old (M = 32.18, SD = 11.87), including 95 men (33.45%) and 189 (66.55%) women, and also 157 (55.63%) emerging adults (18-28 years old) and 126 (44.37%) middle-aged adults (29-65 years old). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Dark Future Scale (DFS-5), and Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) were used to measure depression, future anxiety, and self-efficacy, respectively. Results: A 2-way ANOVA showed that both emerging adults and women scored significantly higher in depression symptoms and future anxiety than middle-aged adults and men, respectively. Furthermore, women scored lower in self-efficacy than men. Analyses revealed that there was a positive correlation between depression and future anxiety. Self-efficacy was negatively correlated with depression and future anxiety. Self-efficacy and future anxiety accounted for 48% of depression variance, controlling for age and gender. Future anxiety was found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between self-efficacy and depression. Conclusions: This study significantly advances the understanding of mental health in adults, grounded in social cognitive theories, revealing that low self-efficacy heightens future anxiety, thereby exacerbating depression symptoms in the Polish adult population, independent of age and gender. Emerging adults and women need psychological support to reduce depression and future anxiety. Women, in particular, should be the main focus of interventions to boost self-efficacy. Implementing targeted preventive measures and support systems can mitigate the challenges faced by emerging adults and women.

Daily Variation in Religious Activities, Spiritual Experiences, Alcohol Use, and Life Satisfaction Among Emerging Adults in the USA.

Research suggests that religious activity and spiritual experiences are associated with well-being among emerging adults. This research is primarily evaluated on the between-person level, leaving within-person effects largely unexplored. We examined relations between religious activity and spiritual experiences and their relation to life satisfaction and alcohol use among 383 college students at a moderately large university in the southwest USA. Participants completed daily reports of study measures. Multilevel regression indicated that daily religious activities and spiritual experiences were directly, and indirectly through moral emotions, associated with satisfaction with life. Results suggest that students who engage in regular religious activity and spiritual experience see a concomitant increase in life satisfaction.

The meaning of adulthood for emerging adults with Down syndrome: Parent perspectives on relevant skills.

BACKGROUND: Parents' conceptualizations of adulthood for their emerging adults with Down syndrome have the potential to impact the transition planning process as families prepare for life after graduation. AIMS: This study aimed to explore parent perceptions of the meaning of adulthood for their emerging adults with Down syndrome. METHODS: In this qualitative study, we interviewed 11 parents of emerging adults with Down syndrome using phenomenological methodology and analysed these data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three topics emerged: (1) Parents' constructions of the meaning of adulthood; (2) Parents' perceptions about the transition to adulthood; and (3) Parents' perceptions of current adult life skills. Ten themes arose out of these topics. CONCLUSIONS: Parents expressed ambivalence about the meaning of adulthood for their emerging adults with Down syndrome, sharing that in some ways they were adults and in others they were not. The meaning of adulthood was closely tied to obtained skills, particularly those related to personal safety.

Do parents engage in weight- and health-focused conversations with their emerging adult children and are there cross-sectional associations with weight and well-being outcomes?

BACKGROUND: Research indicates harmful associations between parental weight-focused conversations and markers of pediatric health and well-being. However, little is known about the prevalence and consequences of parent conversations focused on weight or health behaviors (i.e., physical activity or nutrition) with emerging adult children. METHODS: Data are from the 2018 follow-up survey of the population-based EAT 2010-2018 (Eating and Activity over Time) in cohort from Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. Participants were emerging adults at follow-up with ages 18-26. Regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were conducted. RESULTS: Over two-thirds (68%) of mothers and 44% of fathers engaged in weight-focused conversations with their emerging adult children; 25% of both parents reported engaging in conversations focused only on health behaviors; and 8% of mothers and 26% of fathers reported not engaging in either type of conversation. Health-focused conversations by both parents were associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating behaviors, higher intake of fruit and vegetables, and psychosocial well-being in emerging adult children. Weight-focused conversations with both parents were associated with higher BMI and disordered eating behaviors in emerging adults. There were gender moderated associations of paternal conversations about weight and health with vegetable intake, binge eating, and depressive symptoms. DISCUSSION: The high prevalence and negative health outcomes associated with weight-focused conversations coupled with the low prevalence and positive health outcomes associated with health-focused conversations by parents suggests the need for public health messaging and intervention development aimed at reducing parental weight talk with emerging adult children.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescent and Emerging Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors: A First Exploration.

Purpose: This study examines nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescent and emerging adult survivors of childhood cancer, aiming to gain a first understanding of the phenomenon, its relation to general and cancer-specific functioning, and the stability of NSSI engagement over time. Methods: Dutch-speaking survivors (n = 125, age range = 14-25 years) participated in the first three annual waves of the Longitudinal Identity Study of Childhood Cancer Survivors study. Descriptive characteristics of lifetime NSSI were calculated. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and χ2-analyses were performed to examine differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between survivors with and without lifetime NSSI. To assess differences in general and cancer-specific functioning between survivors with and without lifetime NSSI, two MANOVA analyses were performed. Finally, prevalence rates of current NSSI across the three waves were calculated, followed by χ2-analyses to explore differences in current NSSI over time. Results: The prevalence and characteristics of lifetime NSSI engagement resembled those in the general population. Although demographic and clinical characteristics were unrelated to NSSI engagement, several meaningful differences were found in both general and cancer-specific functioning between survivors with and without NSSI. Survivors with lifetime NSSI experienced more depressive symptoms and difficulties with identity formation (i.e., lower levels of identity synthesis and higher levels of identity confusion). In addition, they experienced more post-traumatic stress symptoms and cancer-related worries, and identified less as a "cancer patient." Conclusions: This study provides a first understanding of NSSI engagement in survivors of childhood cancer, mapping the characteristics of NSSI and its associations with both general and cancer-specific functioning.