<p>The finding that 38.5% of those who committed suicide in Turkey in 2023 were younger than 29 years of age underscores the need to understand and identify factors associated with self-harm (including both non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts) among youth. The study aimed to investigate the serial mediation effect of suicide cognitions and experiential avoidance in the relationship between emotion dysregulation and self-harm. A total of 409 emerging adults aged 18 to 28 participated in the research. A serial mediation model was constructed using PLS-SEM to test the hypotheses. The analysis revealed that suicide cognitions and experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and self-harm. This result indicated that emerging adults’ difficulties in regulating their emotions are related to the cognitive processes of suicide and that trying to avoid these emotional difficulties and cognitions is effective in self-harm. Therefore, the serial mediation model has helped to understand emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes in self-harm. Considering these factors in intervention studies involving emerging adults is crucial in this respect.</p>