Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior and Disengagement Coping of Recollect University Students

The prevalence of self-harm, specifically among emerging adults, has been on the rise. However, most studies focus on suicide and less on NSSI, especially that of senior high school and college students. Moreover, developing countries have minimal studies on NSSI (Costa et al., 2021). Cognizant of the dangers NSSI can pose to students' well-being, this study sought to discover the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and disengagement coping among 364 students from recollect Universities. The survey instruments used were the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Tool (NSSI-AT) and the Coping Strategies Inventory to measure NSSI and disengagement coping, respectively.  The study employed the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test to determine necessary data measures and assess the normality of the variables, wherein weighted means were used to determine the level of non-suicidal self-injury and disengagement coping. On the other hand, Spearman's rank correlation assessed their relationship. Results show low NSSI behavior among the participants across sex, ordinal position, and family structure. Disengagement coping is moderate across demographics except for students in a family structure with a single parent. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed a positive moderate correlation between NSSI and disengagement coping. The reasons why students living with a single-parent family structure have high levels of disengagement coping were also discussed. Thus, improved student services using a multi-pronged approach is recommended, which may include the administration’s increased awareness initiatives as well as preventive policies and strengthening teachers' and counselors’ involvement.