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Emotional Dysregulation and Interpersonal Difficulties as Risk Factors for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescent Girls

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine a model of factors that place psychiatrically hospitalized girls at risk for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The role of familial and peer interpersonal difficulties, as well as emotional dysregulation, were examined in relationship to NSSI behaviors. Participants were 99 adolescent girls (83.2% Caucasian; M age = 16.08) admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Structural equation modeling indicated the primacy of emotional dysregulation as an underlying process placing adolescents at risk for NSSI and mediating the influence of interpersonal problems through the family and peer domains. When family and peer relationships were characterized by conflict and lack of support for managing emotions, adolescents reported more dysregulated emotion processes. Family relational problems were directly and indirectly related to NSSI through emotional dysregulation. The indirect processes of peer relational problems, through emotional dysregulation, were significantly associated with NSSI frequency and severity. The findings suggest that the process by which interpersonal difficulties contribute to NSSI is complex, and is at least partially dependent on the nature of the interpersonal problems and emotion processes.

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Acknowledgements

This publication was made possible by grant number T32 DH052462 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH and the Mayo Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, 2007 Small Grants Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Child Health Institute, 6200 NE 74th Street, Suite 110, Seattle, WA, 98115-8160, USA

    Molly Adrian

  2. Department of Psychology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA

    Janice Zeman

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    Cynthia Erdley

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Ludmila Lisa & Leslie Sim

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  1. Molly Adrian
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  2. Janice Zeman
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  5. Leslie Sim
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Correspondence to Molly Adrian.

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Adrian, M., Zeman, J., Erdley, C. et al. Emotional Dysregulation and Interpersonal Difficulties as Risk Factors for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescent Girls. J Abnorm Child Psychol 39, 389–400 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9465-3

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