Predictors of Self-Harm Types in Members of Online Communities: Age As a Moderating Variable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Deliberate self-harm includes direct and indirect behaviors that cause harm to the body. Various manifestations of such behavior (e.g., non-suicidal self-injuries) are prevalent in adolescent and youth populations, and they often serve as precursors of subsequent suicidal behavior. The interpersonal dynamics that lead to self-harm behavior remain understudied. Interpersonal sensitivity, defined as an anticipation of criticism and fear of rejection in ones relationships with other people, may become one such factor.
 AIM: The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity, psychopathological symptoms, and types of self-harm.
 METHODS: The sample (n=804, 1735 years, M=23.34.6 years) was recruited in online communities. A survey developed by the authors was used to measure the types of self-harm. Other measures included the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure and Symptom Checklist-90-R.
 RESULTS: It was discovered that superficial self-injuries could be related to more severe types of self-harm, destructive for the body on the whole (e.g., risk-taking, deprivation, fasting, substance abuse). Fear of rejection and psychopathological symptoms emerged as predictors of both superficial self-injuries and self-destructive behavior. Although younger respondents (1719 years old) were more likely to inflict on themselves superficial self-injuries, those who scored high on fear of rejection were more likely to report more severe self-destructive behavior. Acute psychological distress elevated this risk for both younger and older participants (2735 years old).
 CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study point at the important role the dynamics of interpersonal relationships plays in perpetuating self-harm.

Non-suicidal self-injuries and suicide risk in adolescent girls with eating disorders: associations with weight control, body mass index, and interpersonal sensitivity

“…Our recent study of online communities focused on appearance and body found that members of pro-anorexia groups (focused on the normalization of anorexia) have higher levels of body dissatisfaction and sensitivity to rejection due to their appearance, compared with members of body-positive communities [26] . According to our other study, the fear of rejection appears to be a predictor of self-injurious behavior in adolescents and young adults [27] . The only clinical study we found of adolescents aged 12–18 years with a diagnosed ED demonstrated that a heightened interpersonal awareness (one of the components of interpersonal sensitivity) contributes to ED symptoms.…”

“…risky behavior, deprivation of needs, fasting, substance abuse). The fear of rejection (a factor of interpersonal sensitivity) is one of the predictors of both superficial self-harm and more severe self-destructive behavior [27] .…”

“…Thus, the few available studies of interpersonal sensitivity (as a personality trait) are freighted by limitations associated with either sampling or study methodology. In addition, the various aspects of interpersonal sensitivity were investigated in these studies in relation with either the ED symptoms [23,26] or non-suicidal self-injuries [27] , while the repeatedly confirmed association between EDs and self-injurious and suicidal behavior necessitates a comprehensive study.…”

The Relationship Between Interpersonal Sensitivity and Emotion Regulation in Youths

“…The current paper describes a subset of data from a larger study on emotions, personality, dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, and self-harm. Results from the larger sample showed that interpersonal sensitivity predicted self-harm in a diverse sample, including people with self-reported mental health issues and psychiatric diagnoses (Razvaliaeva & Polskaya, 2022). A qualitative analysis of the same sample showed that interpersonal rejection was a highly endorsed reason for self-harm, and that it was tightly intertwined with emotional problems and mental pain (Polskaya & Razvaliaeva, 2023).…”

“…Interpersonal sensitivity has been proposed as one of the major contributors to depression (Boyce & Parker, 1989; Wilhelm et al, 2004). It predicts general anxiety disorder and social phobia (Harb et al, 2002), bulimia (Hamann et al, 2009), paranoid ideation (McDonnell et al, 2018), and self-injurious behavior (Razvaliaeva & Polskaya, 2022). Some studies showed that interpersonal sensitivity mediates the relationship between interpersonal trauma, such as child abuse or bullying, and subsequent psychopathological symptoms (Luterek et al, 2004; McDonnell et al, 2018).…”