| Prior research has documented a relationship between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), childhood trauma/maltreatment, and insecure attachment (Gratz, Conrad, & Roemer, 2002; Whitlock, Eckenrode, & Silverman, 2006; Farber, 2001, 2008), which can lead to affect dysregulation and problems in interpersonal relationships (Linehan, 1993; Crouch & Wright, 2004). Rejection sensitivity has also been linked to childhood trauma, poorer attachment, and interpersonal difficulties (Downey & Feldman, 1996; Feldman & Downey, 1994). However, the effect that rejection sensitivity may have on NSSI has not been explored.;Results of this study indicated that this sample of self-mutilators had significantly high rejection sensitivity. NSSI was also significantly positively correlated with rejection sensitivity, psychological distress, and loss of behavioral emotional/control and negatively correlated with psychological well-being. Using a series of multiple regression analyses, anxiety was found to be the strongest predictor of NSSI followed by rejection sensitivity over and above loss of behavioral/emotional control and depression. Indeed, the strongest model of prediction for NSSI was the combination of anxiety and rejection sensitivity. These results indicate that self-mutilators are likely to have heightened rejection sensitivity, which points toward the importance of mental health clinicians addressing self-mutilators' sensitivity to real or perceived interpersonal rejection as well as symptoms of anxiety. Similarly, comorbid issues of substance abuse, eating disorders, and history of suicide attempts were common in this sample and should be paid attention to when treating this population. Lastly, this study identified a series of new NSSI behaviors not documented by previous research. The strengths and limitations of the study as well as suggestions for future research follow.;This study tested the relationship between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and rejection sensitivity (RS; Downey & Feldman, 1996) which had not been empirically investigated to date. An Internet sample of 352 adult participants with a current or past history of NSSI who completed four questionnaires: a brief demographic questionnaire, the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI; Gratz, 2001), the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire-Adult (RSQ; Downey & Feldman, 1996) and the Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Viet & Ware, 1983). |
