Does State Dissociation Mediate the Relation Between Alcohol Intoxication and Deliberate Self-Harm?

Abstract

Research supports the notion that alcohol intoxication is a risk factor for deliberate self-harm (DSH). However, the underlying mechanisms for this relationship are poorly understood. We aimed to determine whether alcohol-induced dissociation mediated alcohol’s effects on DSH. We used data from a dose-response study of alcohol intoxication and DSH to test the proposed model. Participants were assigned to reach target blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) ranging from 0.00% through 0.10% and then completed a behavioral measure of DSH. Dissociation was assessed using the Alcohol Dissociative Experiences Scale. BAC predicted both dissociation and DSH, but dissociation did not predict DSH. Although research on clinical populations suggests dissociation is related to DSH, our findings suggest dissociation does not mediate the effects of alcohol on self-harm.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• dissociation
• gender
• intoxication
• self-aggression
• self-harm

AUTHOR NOTE

Matthew A. Timmins, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.

Mitchell E. Berman, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.

Michael R. Nadorff, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.

Suzanne C. Amadi, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.

Jennifer R. Fanning, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; McLean Hospital, Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.

Michael S. McCloskey, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Matthew A. Timmins, Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA014025).