Daily reciprocal relations between emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury among individuals with a history of sexual assault: The influence of posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern that can be understood within an emotion dysregulation framework. The current study adds to the literature by utilizing a micro-longitudinal design and novel statistical modeling to test reciprocal associations between emotion dysregulation and NSSI, as well as the potential moderating effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Participants were 81 individuals with a history of sexual assault and NSSI (Mage =33.80; 67.9% women; 80.2% white) recruited from the community who self-reported on symptoms of emotion dysregulation and NSSI thoughts/behaviors once daily for 7 days. Average compliance rate was 72.8% (SD=31.3%) and 34 participants (42.0%) endorsed NSSI thoughts/behaviors over the course of the study. Findings revealed a significant positive effect of NSSI thoughts/behaviors on subsequent abilities to regulate negative emotions. Furthermore, while results did not detect a moderating influence of baseline PTSS on the relation between emotion dysregulation and NSSI thoughts/behaviors over time, individuals with higher baseline PTSS were found to experience heightened levels of NSSI thoughts/behaviors and emotion dysregulation on average. Information from this study may be useful for future research and intervention development focused on the intersection of NSSI, PTSS, and emotion dysregulation.