Functional Assessment of Non-suicidal Self-Injury and Eating Disorders

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and eating disorders, both important public health concerns, co-occur at a considerable rate. As many as 55–61 % of individuals with NSSI or eating disorders report engaging in the other type of self-destructive behavior. This significant overlap suggests that a common mechanism may be involved in the development and maintenance of the disorders. One potential common mechanism may be explained by principles of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is important in understanding factors that maintain problem behaviors, such as NSSI and eating disorder behaviors, as well as in the treatment of these behaviors. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the application of the behavioral technique of functional assessment, which is based on principles of operant conditioning, to the assessment and treatment of comorbid NSSI and eating disorders. We will first review the empirical research and theory that support behavioral models for the maintenance of NSSI and eating disorders. Second, we will demonstrate the use of functional assessment to identify the factors associated with the maintenance of these problem behaviors and discuss the implications of functional assessment to the treatment of comorbid NSSI and eating disorders.