Cognitive-emotional networks in students with and without a history of non-suicidal self-injury
Background: Contemporary models of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) suggest that emotional vulnerabilities, negative self-schemas, and beliefs about NSSI work together to differentiate students who self-injure from those who do not. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms are differentially relat...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1173043 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/92824 |
| Summary: | Background: Contemporary models of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) suggest that emotional vulnerabilities, negative self-schemas, and beliefs about NSSI work together to differentiate students who self-injure from those who do not. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms are differentially related among students with and without a history of NSSI. Considering this, we used a network analysis approach to explore how students with and without a history of NSSI vary in processing their emotional experiences in relation to their self-concepts and beliefs about NSSI. Method: A sample of 480 university students (Mage = 21.18, SD = 2.43; 73.5 % female) completed self-report measures about their perceived emotional experiences (e.g., emotional reactivity, emotion regulation difficulties), self-concepts (e.g., self-esteem, self-efficacy), and NSSI. Results: A network comparison test revealed that students with a history of NSSI perceived themselves to have difficulties regulating particularly intense, unwanted negative emotions. In light of this, students with a history of NSSI expected some benefits of NSSI (e.g., emotion regulation) regardless of potential barriers (e.g., pain). Conversely, for students without a history of NSSI, expecting NSSI to have aversive outcomes was tied to expecting NSSI to have few benefits. Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits inferences to be made about the network structures. Conclusions: Students with and without a history of NSSI appear to differ in their cognitive processing of negative emotions and strategies used to deal with these emotions. |
|---|