Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Turkish Young Adults: an Investigation of Intrapersonal Factors

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) includes the actions of individuals that inflict intentional harm to bodily tissues without intent of ending one's life. NSSI is especially frequent among young individuals and may predict future suicidal acts. Although scholarly attention on NSSI has increased, it remains a poorly understood and complex condition. Furthermore, NSSI among nonwestern populations is under-examined. According to the benefits and barriers model (BBM; Hooley & Franklin, 2018) of NSSI, benefits, such as self-punishment and affect improvement, play a role in the initiation of NSSI, while barriers, such as pain and a positive view of the self, play a role in its prevention. The current study uses the framework based on the BBM and explores the relative association between several psychological factors (i.e., emotion dysregulation, negative and positive affect [NA and PA, respectively], thought suppression, self-criticism, and self-compassion) and NSSI. The participants were 353 Turkish young adults (NSSI group: n = 158; no-NSSI group: n = 195) who completed online questionnaires. The results indicated that NSSI was common and repetitive in the sample. The most prevalent NSSI behavior was impeding wound healing. Among the study variables, high levels of nonacceptance of emotional reaction and self-criticism and decreased levels of self-compassion were related to NSSI. PA, NA, thought suppression, and the remaining five dimensions of emotion regulation problems were nonsignificantly linked to NSSI when considering all factors. The results indicate that NSSI is a complex phenomenon associated with various psychological factors, which may require prevention and intervention programs that target multiple aspects. Based on these findings, improving emotion regulation and self-compassion and decreasing self-criticism may be intervention targets for this population.