The Impact of Limited Emotional Regulation on Self-Harming Behavior with the Moderating Role of Low Self-Resilience

Abstract

A significant association exists between non-suicidal self-injury and an inadequate ability to regulate emotions effectively, as assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Further investigation is required to have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underlie this connection. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the association between recent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) during the past month and restricted availability of emergency room procedures could be attributed to low self-perceived resilience and/or a lack of effective strategies to resist NSSI. Out of the 345 college students surveyed, 62.1% were female and reported experiencing non-sexual sexual assault. Self-report questionnaires were utilized to evaluate research components. The connection between restricted emotion regulation techniques and past-month non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) was mediated by low self-perceived resilience, as indicated by a path analytic model that controlled for anxiety and depression. The individuals who reported restricted access to emotion regulation (ER) resources and were able to avoid non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) reported a higher number of coping mechanisms than anticipated. The data suggest that there may be no relationship between NSSI and ER capacity with resilient beliefs.