Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction, Emotion Dysregulation, and Non-suicidal Self-Injury Engagement in Young Adults: An Application of Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

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 Development of First‐Episode Direct Self‐Injurious Behavior and Association with Difficulties in Emotional Regulation in Adolescence

“…To further examine the role of emotional regulation in first‐episode D‐SIB, we carried out regression analyses on the dimensions of the difficulties in the emotional regulation scale (Gratz & Roemer, ). Previous research from inpatient and older adolescent postinjury populations suggests that prospective self‐harm is most associated with the limited access to strategies component of DERS (Emery et al., ; Gratz & Roemer, ; Perez et al., ). We did not find such an association with first‐episode D‐SIB; in fact, our findings revealed that, prior to D‐SIB, lack of emotional clarity was the only emotional difficulty significantly associated with the development of initial D‐SIB while controlling for anxiety and depression.…”

Emotional Dysregulation and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Meta-Analytic Review

“…Although we found that the link between emotional dysregulation and NSSI was robust across participants from various countries, such as the United States [42,51], Canada [59][60][61], Italy [52], Germany [55][56], New Zealand [62][63], and the Netherland [57], these countries are all western countries and participants in these studies were predominantly identified as Caucasian. Only two studies being reviewed involved non-western samples: one involved Turkish [38], and the other Japanese [64].…”

Integrative emotion regulation: Process and development from a self-determination theory perspective

“…Because of their overpowering nature, emotions can be expressed in unmodulated or impulsive ways, or alternatively they may be withheld. Emotion dysregulation is then associated not only with greater subjective distress and self-harming behavior (e.g., Emery, Heath, & Mills, 2016) but also with greater peer rejection, often because of expressive outbursts, disruptions, or withdrawal (e.g., Shields, Cicchetti, & Ryan, 1994). Regardless of expressing or withholding emotions, when dysregulated the individual experiences little choice in behavior, with accompanying relational tensions and subjective ill-being (Roth & Assor, 2012; Roth et al, 2009).…”