Dissociative Tendencies Aggregate the Impact of Negative Life Events on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Male Juvenile Delinquents

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury is a significant global public health problem during adolescence, nevertheless there is a lack of investigations among juvenile offenders. Our cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between negative life events and self-harm, including the effects of dissociation and experiential avoidance that accounted for this link in a sample of underaged male offenders (N = 226; Mage = 16.97, SD = 1.31; 23.5% performed self-harm in the past month). Structural equation modeling showed that dissociation can explain the effect of friendship- and romantic relationship-related negative life events on self-harm. Our findings pointed out that dissociative tendencies could reduce intense emotions stemming from negative life events associated with peer relationships, but consequences of such tendencies might be self-harm in a correctional context.

Keywords:

• Dissociation
• experiential avoidance
• juvenile delinquents
• negative life events
• non-suicidal self-injury

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office – NKFIH, Budapest, Hungary under Grant PD 128332 to M. Reinhardt, under grant NKFIH-1157-8/2019-DT to Zs. Horváth and under Grant FK 128614 to Gy. Kökönyei and a grant from the MTA-SE-NAPB Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University under Grant KTIA_NAP_13-2-2015-0001 to Gy. Kökönyei and from the Hungarian Brain Research Programe under Grant 2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002 to Gy. Kökönyei.

Notes on contributors

Melinda Reinhardt

Melinda Reinhardt, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; XIV. District Medical Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Budapest, Hungary.

Zsolt Horváth

Zsolt Horváth, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

Róbert Urbán

Róbert Urbán, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

Kenneth G. Rice

Kenneth G. Rice, Department of Counseling and Psychological Services, Center for the Study of Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA.

Boglárka Drubina

Boglárka Drubina, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

Gyöngyi Kökönyei

Gyöngyi Kökönyei, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; SE-NAP2 Genetic Brain Imaging Migraine Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary