Using the experiential avoidance model of non-suicidal self-injury: understanding who stops and who continues

Abstract

This research sought to identify factors that may facilitate our understanding of the individual characteristics associated with continuing to engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) versus stopping the behavior. Participants were 214 undergraduates who currently engaged in NSSI, had a past history of, or never engaged in NSSI. Individuals with a current or past history of NSSI reported significantly more intense emotional experiences, more difficulty identifying their feelings, less access to emotion regulation skills, and significantly greater avoidance than individuals who never engaged in NSSI; additionally, individuals with a past NSSI history reported significantly greater acceptance of their emotional responses and significantly greater impulse control than individuals currently engaging in NSSI. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.