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Abstract
This study aimed to examine which specific emotion processes influence self-inflicted injury: basal respiratory sinus arrhythmia, baseline negative emotional intensity, emotional reactivity, or emotion regulation deficits. Self-injuring individuals with borderline personality disorder (N = 22) reported their lifetime self-injury frequency. Basal respiratory sinus arrhythmia and baseline skin conductance responses measurements were collected. Participants then either reacted as they usually would (i.e., emotional reactivity), or utilized mindfulness- or distraction-based strategies (i.e., emotion regulation), in response to negative images while self-reported negative emotion and skin conductance were monitored. Higher basal respiratory sinus arrhythmia and baseline emotional intensity predicted higher lifetime self-injury frequency. Chronic, resting emotion processes may be more important targets for reducing self-injury compared to labile, acute emotion processes.
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Notes on contributors
Skye Fitzpatrick
Skye Fitzpatrick, Center of Alcohol Studies, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, 607 Allison Road, Piscataway Township, NJ, 08854, USA.
Richard Zeifman
Richard Zeifman, Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada.
Lillian Krantz
Lillian Krantz, Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada.
Shelley McMain
Shelley McMain, Borderline Personality Disorder Clinic, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 60 White Squirrel Way, Room 317, Toronto, M6J1H4, Canada.