Examination of concurrent and longitudinal associations among emotional reactivity to stress, interpersonal problem-solving, and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury

This study examined five hypotheses related to negative emotional reactivity and problem-solving as risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents. In a sample of 60 adolescents aged 12-16 years, measures of positive and negative affect and interpersonal problem-solving were administered before and following an in-vivo stressor task. Measures of depressive symptoms and NSSI also were administered at an initial time point. Adolescents completed additional measures of self-injury 3-months and 6-months after the initial time point. Results revealed support for several components of the proposed model. Specifically, results indicated that poorer problem-solving was concurrently associated with engagement in NSSI, and individuals who engaged in NSSI reported higher levels of negative affect following the experience of stress than individuals with no history of NSSI. In addition, exploratory longitudinal analyses provided preliminary evidence that low levels of problem-solving self-efficacy following stress may be predictive of the onset of NSSI over time. Odds ratios for longitudinal analyses indicated that levels of self-efficacy following the stressor task were substantially associated with risk for NSSI onset over time. However, longitudinal analyses lacked sufficient power to detect statistically significant effects. Results provide replication of recent research indicating impaired interpersonal problem-solving among self-injurious adolescents, as well further evidence of increased emotional reactivity among self-injurious adolescents and pilot data suggesting that poorer interpersonal problem-solving may serve as a longitudinal risk factor for NSSI onset among adolescents.