Background and Aim: Self-injurious behaviors can indicate deeper psychological issues, making identification and treatment essential for preventing more serious consequences and improving quality of life. This study aimed to construct and validate a Self-Injurious Behavior Questionnaire for Iranian students.
Methods: The research was quantitative and descriptive, conducted among students at Payame Noor University in Yazd province during the academic year 1402-1403 (2023-2024). Sampling was carried out voluntarily. Research tools included the Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler, 2002) and the Depression Inventory (Beck, 1991). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and Amos version 24. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Self-Injurious Behavior Questionnaire is unidimensional with 8 items. The internal consistency of the questionnaire, assessed through the correlation coefficient of each item with the total score, ranged from 0.617 to 0.843.
Results: The results showed a significant positive correlation between psychological distress and depression with the Self-Injurious Behavior Questionnaire (p<0.01), indicating good construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated factor loadings above 0.40, a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0.077, a Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) of 0.915, a Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of 0.931, and a χ2/df ratio of 2.285, supporting the questionnaire's structural validity. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.927, indicating good reliability.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the questionnaire of self-injurious behaviors is a suitable tool for measuring self-injurious behaviors.