Authors:
Nagra GS, Lin A, Upthegrove R.
Authors notes:
Psychiatry Research. 2016;241:78-82.
Keywords:
Psychological factors, Self-harm, Self-injury, Suicide
Abstract:
Self-harm is the most robust risk for completed suicide.
There is a lack of understanding of why some people who self-harm escalate to suicidal behaviour when others do not.
Psychological factors such as attachment, self-forgiveness and self-appraisal may be important.
To determine whether factors from the Interpersonal Theory and Schematic Appraisals models are useful to identify suicidal behaviour in populations that self-harm.
Specifically we investigate whether resilience factors of secure attachment, self-forgiveness and positive self-appraisals significantly influence suicidality in people who self-harm.
A cross-sectional online study of 323 participants recruited from self-harm support forum.
Validated self-report measures were used to assess appraisals, relationships, self-forgiveness, attachment style, suicidality and self-harm.
Emotion coping and support seeking self-appraisals and self-forgiveness were negatively associated with suicidality in participants with a history of self-harm.
Dismissing attachment was positively associated with suicidality.
The perceived ability to cope with emotions, the perceived ability to gain support and self-forgiveness may protect against suicide in people who self-harm.
Conversely the presence of dismissing attachment may increase the risk of suicidality.
Findings provide therapeutic targets to reduce risk of suicidality in this high risk group.