{"title":"The double-edged sword of distress tolerance: Exploring the role of distress overtolerance in nonsuicidal self-injury","authors":"Harin Chung, Gyumyoung Kim, Da-In Kim, Ji-Won Hur","doi":"10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152610","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While low distress tolerance has been widely studied as a risk factor for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), recent attention has shifted toward distress overtolerance—an individual's excessive endurance to distress despite severe adverse effects. Understanding this double-edged nature of distress tolerance is critical for developing effective intervention strategies to address the growing burden of NSSI. This study investigated the role of distress overtolerance in NSSI pathology.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study comprised 1818 female participants, including 918 and 900 participants with and without a history of NSSI, respectively. Binary logistic regression models were utilized to analyze distress overtolerance as a predictor of NSSI engagement, versatility, and frequency while controlling for demographic variables, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation. Among the participants with a history of NSSI, Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to identify the functions of NSSI that were the most associated with distress overtolerance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Distress overtolerance was identified as a significant predictor of NSSI engagement, versatility, and frequency even after controlling for other risk factors. Distress overtolerance was most strongly linked to self-punishment function in individuals with a history of NSSI.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Distress overtolerance is a distinct and significant risk factor for NSSI, highlighting the need for its inclusion in mechanisms and intervention models for NSSI. Addressing distress overtolerance in therapeutic settings to achieve an optimal balance in distress regulation could provide innovative and more effective strategies for the treatment of NSSI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":10554,"journal":{"name":"Comprehensive psychiatry","volume":"141 ","pages":"Article 152610"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Comprehensive psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X25000380","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
While low distress tolerance has been widely studied as a risk factor for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), recent attention has shifted toward distress overtolerance—an individual's excessive endurance to distress despite severe adverse effects. Understanding this double-edged nature of distress tolerance is critical for developing effective intervention strategies to address the growing burden of NSSI. This study investigated the role of distress overtolerance in NSSI pathology.
Methods
The study comprised 1818 female participants, including 918 and 900 participants with and without a history of NSSI, respectively. Binary logistic regression models were utilized to analyze distress overtolerance as a predictor of NSSI engagement, versatility, and frequency while controlling for demographic variables, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation. Among the participants with a history of NSSI, Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to identify the functions of NSSI that were the most associated with distress overtolerance.
Results
Distress overtolerance was identified as a significant predictor of NSSI engagement, versatility, and frequency even after controlling for other risk factors. Distress overtolerance was most strongly linked to self-punishment function in individuals with a history of NSSI.
Conclusions
Distress overtolerance is a distinct and significant risk factor for NSSI, highlighting the need for its inclusion in mechanisms and intervention models for NSSI. Addressing distress overtolerance in therapeutic settings to achieve an optimal balance in distress regulation could provide innovative and more effective strategies for the treatment of NSSI.
期刊介绍:
"Comprehensive Psychiatry" is an open access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the field of psychiatry and mental health. Its primary mission is to share the latest advancements in knowledge to enhance patient care and deepen the understanding of mental illnesses. The journal is supported by a diverse team of international editors and peer reviewers, ensuring the publication of high-quality research with a strong focus on clinical relevance and the implications for psychopathology.
"Comprehensive Psychiatry" encourages authors to present their research in an accessible manner, facilitating engagement with clinicians, policymakers, and the broader public. By embracing an open access policy, the journal aims to maximize the global impact of its content, making it readily available to a wide audience and fostering scientific collaboration and public awareness beyond the traditional academic community. This approach is designed to promote a more inclusive and informed dialogue on mental health, contributing to the overall progress in the field.