Abuse Subtypes and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

Abstract

Research has identified complex relationships between abuse experiences, emotion regulation, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Data generally indicate that individuals with an abuse experience, or those with NSSI, have difficulties with emotion regulation. However, it is unknown whether there are specific patterns of emotion regulation difficulties across abuse subtypes that are uniquely associated with engaging in NSSI. Using a sample of 2238 college students (n = 419; 18.1% with NSSI histories), the present study examined differences in emotion regulation difficulties across specific abuse types between those with and without a history of NSSI. Results indicate significantly greater difficulties with emotion regulation among abused and self-injuring participants as well as significant differences on specific emotion regulation problems between self-injuring and noninjuring participants within the physical abuse and combination physical/sexual abuse subtypes. Possible explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.

The relationship of childhood trauma to nicotine dependence in pregnant smokers.

“…There is evidence that childhood trauma results in sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to hyper-reactive pituitary-adrenal and autonomic responses to stress in adulthood (Anda et al, 2006; Heim & Nemeroff, 2001; Heim et al, 2002; Heim et al, 2000). Behaviorally, there is evidence that children and adult victims of childhood abuse have difficulty regulating affective responses to psychosocial stressors (Cloitre, Stovall-McClough, Zorbas, & Charuvastra, 2008; Muehlenkamp, Kerr, Bradley, & Adams, 2010; Shields & Cicchetti, 1998; Glaser, Van, Portegijs, & Myin-Germeys, 2006). These data suggest that individuals with a history of childhood trauma will have more frequent and intense experiences of negative emotions in response to daily stress and greater difficulty modulating expression of negative affect within interpersonal relationships, than individuals without such histories (Glaser et al, 2006; Cloitre, Koenen, Cohen, & Han, 2002).…”

Impulsivity and nonsuicidal self-injury: A review and meta-analysis

“…NSSI is proposed to be one way that individuals are able to avoid or escape from these distressing emotional states (Chapman, Gratz, & Brown, 2006;Klonsky & Glenn, 2009;Nock & Prinstein, 2004). In support of the affect regulation function of NSSI, individuals who engage in NSSI report greater emotional dysregulation as compared to individuals who do not engage in NSSI (Heath et al, 2008;Muehlenkamp, Kerr, Bradley, & Larsen, 2010;Muehlenkamp, Peat, Claes, & Smits, 2012). Moreover, individuals who engage in NSSI report that NSSI regulates negative mood states, such as stress, anxiety, sadness, and selfdirected anger (Briere & Gil, 1998;Klonsky & Glenn, 2009;Nock & Prinstein, 2004;see Klonsky, 2007 for a full review).…”

Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescence

“…The risk for engaging in NSSI seems to be elevated by the experience of adverse childhood events like parental neglect, abuse, or deprivation [36, 37]. However, recent research provides more differentiated findings on the experience of adverse childhood events.…”