The relationship between dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, impulsivity, sexual abuse, and self-mutilation
Abstract
The overall purpose of the present study was to further our understanding of the mechanisms of self-mutilative behavior in a sample of female inpatients. The study found that self-mutilators (n = 103) displayed a greater degree of dissociative symptoms and alexithymia and a greater number of self-injurious behaviors, as well as higher rates of childhood sexual abuse, than nonmutilators (n = 45). In addition, the study found that among these variables, the number of self-injurious behaviors had the strongest relationship to self-mutilation. However, both dissociative symptoms and alexithymia were independently associated with self-mutilative behavior. Implications of our findings for clinicians and researchers are discussed.
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People who self-injure have difficulty expressing their emotions verbally and tend to be less aware of their emotional states.
“Alexithymia is common in people who self-injure [16]: these individuals not only have difficulty expressing their emotions verbally [17], a key aspect of alexithymia, but tend to be less aware of their emotional states [18, 19].”
From A 'choice', an 'addiction', a way 'out of the lost': Exploring self-injury in autistic people without intellectual disability (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
Alexithymia is commonly present in clinical populations who self-injure.
“given its common presence in clinical populations who self-injure [16–20]”
From A 'choice', an 'addiction', a way 'out of the lost': Exploring self-injury in autistic people without intellectual disability (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
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References 27 · Cited by 308
- Authors
- Zlotnick, C., Shea, M. T., Pearlstein, T., Simpson, E., Costello, E., & Begin, A.
- Affiliations
- Brown University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zlotnick, Caron
- Venue
- Comprehensive Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-01
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 12-16
- ISSN
- 0010-440X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2047536392
- Cited by
- 308
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 9.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Comprehensive Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- self-mutilation, self-harm, dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, impulsivity, child sexual abuse
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affective Symptoms, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Dissociative Disorders, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Patient Admission, Personality Development, Personality Inventory, Self Mutilation, Self-Injurious Behavior
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