Citation

Brain KL, Haines J, Williams CL. Arch. Suicide Res. 1998; 4(3): 227-242.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Tasmania, HOBART TAS 7001, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Psychophysiological and psychological arousal patterns of individuals who self-mutilate during imaged self-mutilation were examined. Imaged control events (accidental injury, anger, neutral) were compared between self-mutilation and control groups. Personalised guided imagery scripts were presented in four stages: scene setting, approach, incident, and consequence. Results depicted a decrease in psychophysiological arousal when self-mutilation participants imaged cutting themselves. A decrease in psychological response was not evident until after cutting. Responses to self-mutilation imagery were different from those demonstrated during control imagery. A comparison of responses to self-mutilation imagery between past and currently self-mutilating participants indicated no difference in the psychophysiological arousal patterns to self-mutilation imagery. A lag was evident for psychological arousal for the retrospective sample but not for the current group. These results indicated that self-mutilative behaviour is maintained by the psychophysiological and psychological tension-reducing qualities of the act. When a person is no longer engaging in the behaviour, the feelings associated with the act are open to reinterpretation.