Non-suicidal self-injury as a risk factor for purging onset: Negatively reinforced behaviors that reduce emotional distress

摘要

Both non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and purging behavior are thought to involve harm to the self. The acquired capability for self-harm model holds that engaging in one self-harming behavior increases the capability to tolerate harm to the self, thus increasing risk for engaging on other such behaviors. In addition, both behaviors are thought to serve the similar function of relief from distress. We thus tested whether engagement in one of these behaviors predicts the subsequent onset of the other. In a longitudinal design, 1158 first year college women were assessed for purging and NSSI at two time points. Engagement in NSSI at Time 1 predicted the college onset of purging behavior 9 months later (OR = 2.20, p<.04, CI=1.07-4.19) beyond prediction from Time 1 binge behavior, and purging behavior at Time 1 predicted the subsequent onset of NSSI (OR = 6.54,p<.01, CI=1.71-25.04). These findings are consistent with the acquired capability for harm model and with the possibility that the two behaviors serve a similar function.