The manifestation of emotional distress: Correlations between self-compassion and self-mutilation in Brazilian women with disordered eating behavior

Abstract

Background: The functions or motives for self-mutilation behavior (SMB) in Eating Disorders are diverse, and the relationship with self-compassion is unclear. Objectives This study aims to evaluate the relationship between SMB and Self-compassion.

Methods: 251 women aged 25.8 years (SD=5.94) and 73.54kg (SD=19.33) completed measures for Binge Eating (BE), Self-Compassion, and SMB.

Results: In the total evaluated, 83.27% (n=209) presented BE and 94.02% (n=236) presented at least 1 type of SMB. In comparison between groups, the BE-purging one's reached higher values for BE, and less self-compassion, while BE group presented higher self-compassion values. For the BE-purging group, the behaviors "Cut or carving skin", "Hitting self", "Pulling out one's hair", "Burning skin" and "Picking areas of the body to the point of drawing blood" showed inverse correlations with self-compassion.

Conclusion: There is an inverse correlation between self-compassion and SMB, and SMB seems to have different functions between BE-purging group vs. BE group.

Keywords: Binge eating; Self-compassion; Self-harm; Self-injury; Self-mutilation.