Early maladaptive schemas and non-suicidal self-injury among young adults: A preliminary investigation

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) represents a critical mental health issue among young adults. Accordingly, it is important to understand potentially modifiable processes involved in its enactment. The current investigation built on previous work to better understand the nature of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in the context of NSSI. One hundred and thirty young adults completed questionnaires assessing NSSI history, EMS and depressive symptoms. Results indicate that EMS may play a role in NSSI engagement after controlling for depressive symptoms. Specifically, higher scores on social isolation and emotional inhibition and possibly lower scores on entitlement/grandiosity schemas may differentiate those who self-injure from those who do not. Furthermore, higher levels of dependence/incompetence schema may differentiate those who report a higher NSSI frequency and those who report a less frequent NSSI history. Although a nascent area of study, our findings suggest that it may be fruitful to consider conceptualizing NSSI within a schema therapy framework.

Keywords:

• non-suicidal self-injury
• self-harm
• schema
• cognition
• depression

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Stephen P Lewis, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. His research programme examines non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and related mental health difficulties among youth and emerging adults. Central to his research approach is the use of the Internet as a research platform and outreach tool. In this regard, his research investigates: a) online NSSI communication, b) ways to increase youth’s access to online NSSI resources, c) youth mental health literacy and d) NSSI recovery experiences. Sample publications are as follows: Self-injury and readiness to recover: Preliminary examination of components of the stages of change model. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, (2015; ahead-of-print), 1-11; Googling self-injury: The state of health information obtained through online searches for self-injury, JAMA Pediatrics (2014); Start, stop, continue: Preliminary insight into the appeal of self-injury e-communities, Journal of Health Psychology (2014); Non-suicidal self-injury, youth and the internet: What mental health professionals need to know, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (2012); Non-suicidal self-injury, Canadian Medical Association Journal (2013); Helpful or harmful? An examination of viewers’ responses to non-suicidal self-injury videos on YouTube, Journal of Adolescent Health (2012); The scope of non-suicidal self-injury on YouTube, Pediatrics (2011); and Non-suicidal self-injury (Hogrefe & Huber, 2011).

Margaret N Lumley, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. Her research focuses on positive mental health for youth by researching factors that support emotional resilience and applying this knowledge to intervention. Sample publications are as follows: Protection from depression following emotional maltreatment: the role of positive schemas. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy (in press); The secure base script: Associated with early maladaptive schemas related to attachment. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 87(4), 425-446; The role of positive schemas in child psychopathology and resilience. Cognitive therapy and research, 37(1), 97-108; Cognitive organization, perceptions of parenting and depression symptoms in early adolescence. Cognitive therapy and research, 36(4), 300-310.; Sources of emotional maltreatment and the differential development of unconditional and conditional schemas. Cognitive behaviour therapy, 41(4), 288-297.; Childhood maltreatment and depressotypic cognitive organization. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 33(5), 511-522.

Paul H Grunberg completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Guelph and is completing his graduate training in Clinical Psychology at McGill University. His research interests include non-suicidal self-injury, eating disorders and anxiety disorders, in addition to respective evidence-based interventions. He has recently published the following: Grunberg, P. H., & Lewis, S. P. (2015). Self-injury and readiness to recover: Preliminary examination of components of the stages of change model. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, (ahead-of-print), 1-11.

Notes

1. We computed correlations to determine the univariate relations between EMS subscales and depressive symptoms (indexed by BDI-II scores) and then between EMS subscales NSSI history. EMS correlated positively and significantly with depressive symptom scores (BDI-II total scores); correlation coefficients ranged from .12 to .60; p < .05 (with most exceeding .31) across EMS. EMS also significantly and positively associated with NSSI history (r = .34; p < . 05). Overall, EMS seemed to share stronger relations with depressive symptoms than NSSI.