Citation

Kuehn KS, Dora J, Harned MS, Foster KT, Song F, Smith MR, King KM. Nat. Hum. Behav. 2022; 6(7): 964-974.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/s41562-022-01340-8

PMID

35484208

PMCID

PMC9329197

Abstract

Prominent theories suggest that self-injurious thoughts and behaviours are negatively reinforced by decreased negative affect. The present meta-analysis quantifies effects from intensive longitudinal studies measuring negative affect and self-injurious thoughts and behaviours. We obtained data from 38 of the 79 studies (48%, 22 unique datasets) involving N = 1,644 participants (80% female, 75% white). Individual-participant data meta-analyses revealed changes in affect pre/post self-injurious thoughts and behaviours. In antecedent models, results supported increased negative affect before nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviour (k = 14, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.31) and suicidal thoughts (k = 14, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.19). For consequence models, negative affect was reduced following nonsuicidal self-injurious thoughts (k = 6, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.44), nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviours (k = 14, 95% CI -0.73 to -0.19) and suicidal thoughts (k = 13, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.23).

FINDINGS, which were not moderated by sampling strategies or sample composition, support the affect regulation function of self-injurious thoughts and behaviours.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Female; Male; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicidal Ideation; Longitudinal Studies