Mechanisms and intervention strategies of emotional dysregulation in individuals with non-suicidal self-injury

Abstract Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a deliberate, direct, socially unacceptable, and nonsuicidal form of self-hurt, with a high incidence rate among adolescents. NSSI harms people’s bodies and minds, dampening their social function and increasing the risk of suicide. The Benefit and Barrier Model of NSSI proposes that the core benefit of NSSI is emotional gain, in other words, the emotion regulation effect of the NSSI behaviors. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between NSSI and emotional dysregulation, analyze the possible behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying emotional dysregulation in NSSI, and summarize the application of emotion regulation strategies in the intervention for NSSI. This review provides evidence and implications for further research on the mechanisms and interventions related to emotional dysregulation in people with NSSI.