Self-injurious behaviour in patients with anorexia nervosa: a quantitative study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Eating disorders are frequently associated with emotional dysregulation and self-injurious behaviors.
• Self-injurious behavior (SIB) and eating disorders (EDs) are often employed as maladaptive emotion-regulation strategies.
• This study investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and emotion-regulation function of SIB in patients with anorexia nervosa or EDNOS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of self-injurious behavior in patients with anorexia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified.
• To characterize self-injurious behavior in this patient population.
• To examine the emotion-regulation function of self-injurious behavior in patients with eating disorders.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design utilizing self-report questionnaires.
• Mann-Whitney U-tests were employed to compare clinical variables between patients with and without self-injurious behavior.
• Wilcoxon signed rank tests assessed changes in emotional state before and after self-injurious behavior.

Main Results:

• A 41% prevalence of self-injurious behavior was observed in the past month.
• Patients engaging in self-injurious behavior had longer treatment histories for their eating disorder and higher rates of secondary psychiatric diagnoses (55% vs. 21%).
• Self-injurious behavior significantly increased feelings of relief and decreased anxiety, anger at self, and anger at others, supporting its role in emotion regulation.

Conclusions:

• Systematic assessment of self-injurious behavior is crucial for eating disorder patients.
• Particular attention should be given to patients with severe psychopathology, comorbidities, and long treatment histories.
• Functional analysis and targeted therapeutic interventions for self-injurious behavior are recommended alongside eating disorder treatment.