Suicide and Self-Injury
Trajectories of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Emerging Adults with Different Self-Harm Histories
Beverlin Rosario-Williams, M.A.
Student
Hunter College, City University of New York
Houston, Texas
Emily L. Mitchell, B.A.
Clinical Research Coordinator
James J. Peters VA Medical Center
Bronx, New York
Aliona Tsypes, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Regina Miranda, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York
New York, New York
Self-harm behaviors are a major public health concern among young adults. Although many studies have focused on predicting self-harm, fewer studies have examined how individuals with previous histories of self-harm engage in daily emotion regulation strategies. People who engage in self-harm report more emotion regulation deficits than their peers without self-harm. However, how emotion regulation strategies vary over time between young adults with and without self-harm histories remains unexamined. The current study used a daily diary design to examine variability in cognitive-emotion regulation strategies between young adults with no self-harm, previous suicide attempts, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Forty-one young adults, ages 18-27 (M=19.32, SD=2.04), were recruited from an ongoing study and completed measures of emotion regulation once daily for 7 days. The sample was ethnically diverse, with 34% of participants identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, 32% as White, 15% as Biracial, 12% as Black, and 7% as Hispanic. Participants identified primarily as heterosexual (90%), some identified as bisexual (5%), and others preferred not to report (5%). Growth curve analyses revealed differences in trajectories of rumination, catastrophizing, and acceptance depending on self-harm histories. Specifically, participants with previous NSSI displayed a decrease in rumination (b = -0.36, SE = 0.15, 95% CI =-0.65, -0.07), acceptance (b = -0.46, SE = 0.16, 95% CI = -0.79, -0.13), and catastrophizing (b = -0.49, SE = 0.19, 95% CI = -0.86, -0.13) over time, compared to young adults with a previous suicide attempt. These findings suggest variability in the use of cognitive-emotion regulation strategies depending on one’s history of self-harm behaviors. Findings also suggest that while individuals with previous suicide attempts use more emotion regulation strategies, they may need assistance in selecting when and how to use specific strategies.