Applying Multiple Machine Learning Methods to Identify Correlates of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behaviors in Chinese Middle School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yayasan Cahaya Ilmu is a social and religious institution in Lawang Kuta Hamlet, Lembar Village, West Lombok Regency, that fosters 11 adolescent and young adult beneficiaries aged 13–18 years with orphan, double-orphan, and underprivileged family backgrounds. Prior to this program, the beneficiaries had not received structured mentoring in Al-Islam and Kemuhammadiyahan (AIK), consistent with national data indicating high school dropout rates in West Nusa Tenggara. This community service program aimed to improve participants' understanding of Islamic values, cultivate knowledge of Muhammadiyah's ideology, and build noble character and independence. The method adapted a Participatory Action Research approach, implemented over one month through eight scheduled visits (twice weekly), combined with independent daily worship habituation supervised by the foundation's mentor. Results showed improvement across all indicators: the average AIK comprehension score increased from 50.5 to 80.6 (scale of 100); 91% of participants were able to perform prayer according to fiqh standards; 91% showed improvement in Qur'anic recitation quality using the tahsin method and 100% of participants successfully memorized five short surahs. Outputs produced include a two-volume AIK module, Qur'anic storyboards, daily worship monitoring tables, and the establishment of an independent study circle (halaqah mandiri) as a form of program sustainability.

Abstract Child and adolescent externalizing problems have often been conceptualized broadly with imprecise language (e.g., “disruptive behavior”) or inconsistently across varying taxonomies (e.g., oppositional defiant and conduct disorder symptoms, aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors). Establishing clarity around dimensions of externalizing problems is an essential step toward more accurate measurement and construct validity across the externalizing domain. To that end, the current study investigated fine-grained dimensions in the structure of youth externalizing psychopathology. Caregiver-report survey data were collected for a national community sample of 576 youth (ages 6–14; 45% female, 25% Hispanic), including measures of irritability, oppositionality, reactive and proactive aggression, conduct problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and inattention. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine relations among externalizing dimensions at the item-level followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine relations at the construct-level. EFA results suggested that a 3-factor model best fit the data, including factors characterized by externalizing affect (e.g., “felt mad”), externalizing behavior (e.g., “bullies, threatens, or intimidates others”), and ADHD symptoms (e.g., “talks excessively”), with a few cross-loadings. Similarly, confirmatory models indicated that a 3-factor, non-hierarchical structure fit the data best when compared to three other models. Results provide support for distinct facets of the externalizing spectrum in child psychopathology, suggesting a preliminary direction for a unifying framework. These findings highlight the potential for future measurement research to further disentangle the distinct and overlapping facets of externalizing constructs, particularly using multiple methods and informants and with replication across samples.

This study aimed to examine the role of self-efficacy and pressure of coach expectations in predicting the performance of adolescent athletes. This study used a cross-sectional survey design involving 142 athletes aged 16–19 years from regional and national sports clubs. Data analysis included Pearson correlation test, independent-samples t-test, and multiple linear regression. The results showed that self-efficacy was positively and significantly associated with athlete performance, while coach expectation pressure was negatively and significantly related to athlete performance. In addition, there were differences in performance by gender, with male athletes reporting higher performance scores than female athletes. When gender was included as a control variable in the regression model, self-efficacy and coach expectations pressure remained significant predictors of athlete performance. Overall, these findings suggest that internal psychological factors and pressures from the sports environment play a role in explaining variations in adolescent athlete performance. This study emphasizes the importance of strengthening self-efficacy and the application of realistic and supportive expectations of coaches in the process of coaching athletes. Further longitudinal research is needed to examine this relationship in more depth.

Psychological distress during young adulthood may be influenced by early emotional experiences and current interpersonal relationships. The current study investigates the relationship between childhood emotional neglect, peer support and psychological distress in young adults. A quantitative research design was used with 200 participants aged 18-25 years selected through purposive sampling from educational institutions of Lahore. Childhood emotional neglect, peer support and psychological distress were measured with the Childhood Emotional Neglect Questionnaire (CENQ), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived social support (MSPSS), and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), respectively. Data were analyzed using Pearson- product moment correlation, hierarchical regression, PROCESS moderation analysis and one way ANOVA. Childhood emotional neglect was significantly and positively associated with psychological distress while peer support was not significantly and directly associated with psychological distress. Hierarchical regression indicates that psychological distress was significantly predicted by childhood emotional neglect, while peer support was not a significant direct predictor. The regression model explained 12.5% of variance in psychological distress. Moderation analysis showed significant interaction effects of friends’ support (P= .017) and family support (P= .032), indicating that these sources of support moderated the relationship between childhood emotional neglect and psychological distress. There were significant socio-economic differences for childhood emotional and peer support, but not for psychological distress. The findings highlight the importance of considering childhood emotional experiences and interpersonal resources when understanding psychological distress among young adults.