Attentional Bias Moderates the Link Between Attachment-Related Expectations and Non-suicidal Self-Injury

Abstract Insecure attachment is a transdiagnostic risk factor for the development of emotional and behavior problems. In the present study, we investigated the association between attachment-related expectations and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a sample of 42 university students, taking into account the attentional bias around mother as a mechanism to explain this association. All participants completed the Self-Harm Inventory to assess life-time NSSI and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Attentional Breadth Task. Overall, 28.6 % of the participants engaged in at least one type of life-time NSSI. The results showed that participants who are less able to trust their mother are less likely to communicate with her, which is linked to more life-time NSSI, but only when their attention is more focused on her. Therefore, from a clinical point of view, it is advisable to also focus on the child–parent interaction while preventing or treating NSSI in adolescents and young adults.
Source: Cognitive Therapy and Research - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research