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Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a public health concern that affects young adults at alarming rates. The present study examines the role of satisfaction of self-determination theory's three basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in young adults' NSSI engagement. University students who reported ever having engaged in NSSI (n = 40, 85 % female; Mage = 20.10, SD = 1.66) reported significantly lower levels of the satisfaction of all three needs, as well as more difficulties with all aspects of emotion regulation (non-acceptance of emotional responses, difficulty engaging in goal directed behavior, impulse control, lack of emotional awareness, limited access to regulation strategies, lack of emotional clarity), compared to students with no history of NSSI (n = 46, 91 % female; Mage = 19.79, SD = 1.37). Results of a logistic regression analysis revealed that need satisfaction added to the prediction of NSSI group membership after controlling for the effects of emotion regulation. Satisfaction of the need for competence and limited access to emotion regulation strategies accounted for significant variance in NSSI in the final model. The findings suggest that self-determination theory may be a useful framework under which to conceptualize NSSI and that the need for competence may be particularly salient for University students.

The purpose of the present study was to test the applicability of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan in J Res Pers 19:109–134. doi: 10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6 , 1985; Can Psychol 49:182–185. doi: 10.1037/a0012801 , 2008) across developmental periods by differentiating children and adolescents on the importance of individual needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) and the role of balance across contexts (i.e., home, school, peers) in predicting depressive symptoms. Participants completed the Children’s Intrinsic Need Satisfaction Scale (Koestner and Veronneau in The Children’s Intrinsic Needs Satisfaction Scale. McGill University, Montreal, 2001) and the Children’s Depression Inventory (Kovacs in Children’s depression inventory manual. Multi-Health Systems, North Tonawanda, 1992). Results indicated that only the need for competence was significantly related to depressive symptoms in the child sample (n = 149) whereas, the satisfaction of autonomy and relatedness were significant predictors in the adolescent sample (n = 153). In both samples, need balance across contexts was a significant predictor over and above the level of satisfaction of each individual need. Implications for clinical practice and for theory will be presented.