Longitudinal prediction of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury: examination of a cognitive vulnerability-stress model

Longitudinal prediction of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury: examination of a cognitive vulnerability-stress model Public Deposited

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Creator

Guerry, John D.
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

Virtually no research has examined psychological characteristics or events that may lead to adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). While recent work has implicated the role of stressful life events, little is known regarding how stress might combine with other factors to predict NSSI. The present study tested whether a cognitive-vulnerability stress model could predict longitudinal trajectories of NSSI. Adolescent participants (n = 143; 72% female) recruited from a psychiatric inpatient facility reported on measures of NSSI, depression, attributional style, and interpersonal stressors during baseline hospitalization. Levels of NSSI were reassessed at 3, 6, 9, 15, and 18 months post-baseline. Latent growth curve analyses partially supported hypotheses. Although the cognitive vulnerability-stress interaction was not significantly associated with "remission" of NSSI between baseline and 6-month follow-up, this interaction significantly predicted "maintenance" of NSSI between 9, 15, and 18 months post-baseline. These findings further support theoretical models of NSSI which posit emotion regulation functions.

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