Non-suicidal Self Injury: Relationship with Attachment, Childhood Trauma and Dissociation

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between non-suicidal self injury (NSSI), dissociative experiences, types of childhood traumas, and attachment styles in adolescents.

Adolescents aged 14-18 with a diagnosis of NSSI and a psychiatric disorder (NSSI, n=40), a clinical comparison group which have any psychiatric disorder without NSSI (CCG, n=40) and a healthy control group (HC, n=40) were included. The diagnosis of NSSI were confirmed with the research criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th Edition. All participants were evaluated using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime Version. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the short form of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES) were used.

The dissociation scores were higher in the NSSI group compared to the CCG group (4.8±2.0 and 2.9±2.2, p<0.001). NSSI group also had higher trauma levels but the difference was not statistically significant (48.0±14.2 and 41.4±5.0, p=0.062). Similarly, the NSSI group yielded higher scores of CTQ (48.0±14.2 and 33.8±6.8, p<0.001) and ADES (4.8±2.0 and 1.8±1.6, p<0.001) compared to HC group. Also, compared to the HC group, the NSSI group had more impaired attachment to father (42.0±19.7 vs. 53.0±21.7, p=0.056) and more frequently reported physical and emotional abuse. Finally, there were negative correlations between attachment levels to mother and CTQ total scores (r=-0.70, p<0.001) and between father attachment subscale and ADES scores (r=-0.33, p=0.047).

Our study supports the notion that dissociation, trauma and insecure attachment are more common in individuals with NSSI. Psychotherapeutic approaches based on current findings will provide more benefits to patients.