Deliberate self-harm and alcohol involvement in college-aged females: a controlled comparison in a nonclinical sample

Individuals who engage in deliberate self-harm (DSH) report using other problematic coping mechanisms. One potential problematic coping mechanism is alcohol consumption. Research on alcohol involvement and deliberate self-harm is conflicting. This study compared individuals who have engaged in deliberate self-harm to controls on a range of alcohol measures. Five hundred females completed questionnaires assessing deliberate self-harm and alcohol involvement. Controlling for differences in psychopathology and impulsivity, the DSH group did not differ from the controls relative to quantity and frequency of alcohol use but did differ relative to negative consequences, risky behaviors, and alcohol expectancies. The authors discuss mechanisms that account for increased negative consequences and expectancies of alcohol consumption in the absence of differences in quantity and frequency, as well as the clinical importance of assessing a broad spectrum of alcohol involvement in the DSH population.