Connecting Self-harm, Cognitive Inhibition, and Emotional Coping: A Trans-systemic Model of Urgency
Abstract
Self-harm (SH) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are potentially life-threatening behaviors that have massive public health implications. One recognized conduit for SH/NSSI is impulsivity, specifically a particular aspect called urgency, the tendency to behave rashly particularly during negative mood states. Some evidence suggests that the predisposition for urgency is represented by specific deficits in prepotent response inhibition (PPRI) under strong emotional contexts. This project tests the hypothesis that SH/NSSI behaviors are facilitated by the dynamic interplay of cognitive deficits in emotional PPRI and affective regulatory processes. Among individuals with a history of self-harm, neither negative urgency nor trait coping predicted maintenance of self-harm behaviors, while emotional PPRI and daily fluctuations in coping behaviors did predict self-harm engagement. Implications for the clinical conceptualization of self-harm engagement and future research directions are discussed.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Samuel, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Personality psychology
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