Sensation seeking and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior among adolescent psychiatric patients

Abstract

The Benefits and Barriers model of NSSI postulates that engagement in NSSI is positively reinforced by potent benefits, however there are a host of barriers to engagement, any one of which is salient enough to prevent engagement. It is possible that individual differences in sensation seeking, a trait that describes optimal level of positive reinforcement, may alter the balance between the benefits and barriers of engagement in NSSI. There are significant associations between engagement in NSSI and sensation seeking in college undergraduates, a population with disproportionately high rates of NSSI. However, it is unclear whether these traits play a similar role in adolescents. We expected that higher levels of sensation seeking would positively relate to any NSSI history, lifetime frequency of NSSI, and earlier age at onset of NSSI among a sample of 200 adolescents in a psychiatric hospital. Consistent with previous research, results indicated that females were more likely to engage in NSSI than males. Additionally, increased sensation seeking was associated with greater likelihood of ever engaging in NSSI and a greater number of different NSSI methods tried. Though we expected sensation seeking would be significantly related to lifetime NSSI frequency and earlier onset of NSSI, it was not. Findings suggest that individual differences may alter relations between the benefits and barriers of NSSI and that measuring sensation seeking in adolescents, especially females, and especially those experiencing psychological distress, may identify those at highest risk for engaging in NSSI and may allow for targeted intervention with these individuals.

Deviant Peer Affiliation and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents: Depression as a Mediator and Sensation Seeking as a Moderator

“…These findings were in alignment with a prior study that found that sensation seeking magnified the association between a risk factor (cyberbullying victimization) and adolescent NSSI [32]. According to the sensation seeking theory [49,50], individuals who seek high sensation also tend to enjoy novel experiences and taking risks, which in turn increases the possibility that they will use a risky behavior such as NSSI to escape depression [51]. Thus, for adolescents with high levels of sensation seeking, the relation between depression and NSSI became stronger.…”

The downside of being openminded: The positive relation between openness to experience and nonsuicidal self‐injury

“…Moreover, the association between openness and NSSI was still significant when adjusting for sensation seeking. These findings are somewhat inconsistent with theories of NSSI that posit that one function of NSSI is sensation seeking (i.e., automatic positive reinforcement; Klonsky, 2007; Nock & Prinstein, 2004), but do fit with the mixed association between trait sensation seeking and NSSI (e.g., Glenn & Klonsky, 2010; Kentopp et al, 2021).…”

“…Two relevant personality traits are sensation seeking and openness to experience. Sensation seeking (i.e., the propensity toward new experiences and sensations; Whiteside & Lynam, 2001) is a facet of impulsivity with mixed association with NSSI (Glenn & Klonsky, 2010; Kentopp et al, 2021). In trait models of personality, sensation seeking is seen as a facet of extraversion (Cyders & Smith, 2008).…”

Cybervictimization and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: The effect of depression and school connectedness

“…Sensation seeking was measured using the Chinese version of the sensation seeking scale. These variables have all been shown to be associated with risk of NSSI ( 52 , 53 ).…”