Cognitive emotion regulation strategies among emerging adults with different self-harm histories

Self-injurious behaviors have a high prevalence in emerging adulthood. People who engage in self-injury report more emotion regulation difficulties than their peers without self-injury. However, there is little research on how use of emotion regulation strategies varies over brief periods among emerging adults with differing self-harm histories. The current study examined variability in cognitive emotion regulation strategies between emerging adults with no self-harm, previous suicide attempts, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).

Forty-one racially and ethnically diverse participants, ages 18-27, completed measures of cognitive emotion regulation once daily for one week.

Data collected from 5 of these days were analyzed due to missing data on days 6 and 7. Growth curve analyses revealed differences in trajectories of rumination, acceptance, and catastrophizing, depending on self-harm histories. Specifically, participants with previous NSSI displayed increases in rumination, acceptance, and catastrophizing over time, compared to peers with a previous suicide attempt.

The study design was limited by lack of assessment of self-harm during the daily diary, a limited assessment period of only one week, and distal time period of group classification.

These findings suggest that while emerging adults with NSSI histories use more emotion regulation strategies, they may need assistance in selecting when and how to use specific strategies.