Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect

Grounded in Emotional Cascade Theory, we explored whether rumination and multisensory imagery-based cognitions moderated the relationships between affect and both odds of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and frequency of the behaviour. A sample of 393 university students completed self-report questi...

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Main Authors: Hasking, Penelope, Di Simplicio, M., McEvoy, Peter, Rees, Clare
Format: Journal Article
Published: Routledge 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/63523
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author Hasking, Penelope
Di Simplicio, M.
McEvoy, Peter
Rees, Clare
author_facet Hasking, Penelope
Di Simplicio, M.
McEvoy, Peter
Rees, Clare
author_sort Hasking, Penelope
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Grounded in Emotional Cascade Theory, we explored whether rumination and multisensory imagery-based cognitions moderated the relationships between affect and both odds of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and frequency of the behaviour. A sample of 393 university students completed self-report questionnaires assessing the constructs of interest. Contrary to expectations, rumination did not emerge as a significant moderator of the affect-NSSI relationship. However, the relationship between affect and frequency of NSSI was moderated by the use of imagery. Further, the relationship between negative affect and NSSI was moderated by positive affect, underscoring the need to consider both negative and positive affect in models of NSSI. Most youth who self-injured reported thinking in images while the urge to self-injure was strong, with 53% thinking in images at least half the time. Future work is needed to explore how positive and negative affect work in concert to govern NSSI, and how imagery might either exacerbate or reduce risk of NSSI.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-635232018-04-17T07:56:44Z Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect Hasking, Penelope Di Simplicio, M. McEvoy, Peter Rees, Clare Grounded in Emotional Cascade Theory, we explored whether rumination and multisensory imagery-based cognitions moderated the relationships between affect and both odds of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and frequency of the behaviour. A sample of 393 university students completed self-report questionnaires assessing the constructs of interest. Contrary to expectations, rumination did not emerge as a significant moderator of the affect-NSSI relationship. However, the relationship between affect and frequency of NSSI was moderated by the use of imagery. Further, the relationship between negative affect and NSSI was moderated by positive affect, underscoring the need to consider both negative and positive affect in models of NSSI. Most youth who self-injured reported thinking in images while the urge to self-injure was strong, with 53% thinking in images at least half the time. Future work is needed to explore how positive and negative affect work in concert to govern NSSI, and how imagery might either exacerbate or reduce risk of NSSI. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/63523 10.1080/02699931.2017.1368456 Routledge restricted
spellingShingle Hasking, Penelope
Di Simplicio, M.
McEvoy, Peter
Rees, Clare
Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title_full Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title_fullStr Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title_full_unstemmed Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title_short Emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
title_sort emotional cascade theory and non-suicidal self-injury: the importance of imagery and positive affect
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/63523