An Exploratory Analysis of Situational Affect, Early Life Stress, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in College Students

Abstract

Research and theory related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) have highlighted the potential role for early traumatic experiences in subsequent enactment of NSSI behaviors. The present investigation explores the impact of trauma type and timing on both (a) reported NSSI as traditionally measured and (b) in vivo NSSI assessments. Findings supported an interaction between negative affect (NA) and cumulative trauma, such that individuals with high levels of cumulative life trauma evidenced greater in vivo NSSI severity following both high and low levels of in vivo NA. Nonlinear cusp models further supported the presence of an interaction of trauma, particularly trauma prior to 6 years of age, and pre-NSSI NA in the prediction of in vivo NSSI episode severity. The present findings extend a developing literature related to the effects of early life experiences on health behavior.

Keywords:

• nonsuicidal self-injury
• deliberate self-harm
• trauma
• ecological momentary assessment
• nonlinear models

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