The Role of Affect Valence and Pain in Differentiating Young Women With and Without Histories of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury.

Abstract

Introduction: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) often helps regulate affect, yet there is conflicting research on the immediate affective outcomes of pain and NSSI. People also engage in NSSI for intrapersonal and interpersonal reasons. It is unclear whether affective shifts post-pain task differentiate individuals with and without NSSI histories, and are influenced by interpersonal or intrapersonal motives for NSSI. The present study examined the effect of pain on affective shifts, and to investigate motives for NSSI as moderators.

Methods: Participants were 134 women (n = 77 with recent/recurrent NSSI), that completed measures of NSSI and reported their positive and negative affect pre- and post-pain-task.

Results: Our findings suggest that participants without a history of NSSI reported greater decreases in positive affect pre-to-post task. NSSI history did not predict fluctuations in negative affect after controlling for stress. Namely, at low levels of stress, participants reported greater decreases in negative affect following the pain task. Finally, interpersonal motives for NSSI predicted increased positive affect following the endurance of pain.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that affect changes in response to pain may not be differentially associated with NSSI history; however, among people with a history of NSSI, interpersonal motives may predict changes in positive affect following a pain task.