Hamza Chloe A, Goldstein Abby L, Heath Nancy L, Ewing Lexi
Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Front Psychol. 2021 Apr 13;12:610670. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610670. eCollection 2021.
Theoretical perspectives on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; direct and deliberate self-injury without lethal intent such as self-cutting or hitting) have long underscored the affective regulating properties of NSSI. Less attention has been given to the processes through which individuals choose to engage in NSSI, specifically, to regulate their distress. In the present study, we tested one theoretical model in which recent stressful experiences facilitates NSSI through emotional reactivity. Further, we tested whether the indirect link between stressful experiences and NSSI was moderated by several NSSI specific risk factors (e.g., having friends who engage in NSSI). Given the widespread prevalence of NSSI among community-based samples of adolescents and emerging adults, we surveyed 1,125 emerging adults in first-year university at a large academic institution (72% female, age = 17.96, 25% with a recent history of NSSI at Time 1). Participants completed an online survey three times (assessments were 4 months apart), reporting on their recent stressful experiences in university, emotional reactivity, NSSI, as well as three NSSI specific risk factors (i.e., close friend engagement in NSSI, high self-disgust, and low fear of pain). As expected, path analysis revealed that there was a significant indirect effect of recent stressful experiences on NSSI engagement, through emotional reactivity. However, this effect was maintained across moderator analyses. These novel findings underscore the salient role of proximally occurring stressors in the prediction of NSSI among emerging adults in university, and can inform developing theoretical perspectives on NSSI.
关于非自杀性自伤行为（NSSI；直接且蓄意的无致死意图的自我伤害，如割伤或击打自己）的理论观点长期以来一直强调NSSI的情感调节特性。人们较少关注个体选择从事NSSI的过程，特别是调节自身痛苦的过程。在本研究中，我们测试了一个理论模型，即近期的压力经历通过情绪反应促进NSSI。此外，我们还测试了压力经历与NSSI之间的间接联系是否受到几个NSSI特定风险因素（如，有从事NSSI的朋友）的调节。鉴于NSSI在青少年和新兴成年人的社区样本中普遍存在，我们对一所大型学术机构的1125名大学一年级新兴成年人进行了调查（72%为女性，年龄 = 17.96岁，25%在时间1时有近期NSSI史）。参与者分三次完成了一项在线调查（评估间隔为4个月），报告他们近期在大学的压力经历、情绪反应、NSSI，以及三个NSSI特定风险因素（即亲密朋友从事NSSI、高度自我厌恶和低疼痛恐惧）。正如预期的那样，路径分析显示，近期的压力经历通过情绪反应对NSSI参与有显著的间接影响。然而，在调节分析中这种影响保持不变。这些新发现强调了近端发生的压力源在预测大学新兴成年人NSSI方面的显著作用，并可为发展关于NSSI的理论观点提供参考。
