Adolescents with Self-Mutilation Behavior

Megan Mahoney

Abnormal Psychology

Dr. Cohen

12-5-2005

Nock, Matthew K., and Mitchell J. Prinstein. "Contextual Features and Behavioral Functions of Self-Mutilation Among Adolescents." Journal of Abnormal Psychology 114 (2005): 140-149. PsycARTICLES. EBSCO. Kean, Union. 5 Dec. 2005. Path: Psychology.

The article I read was on adolescent self-mutilation behavior. The previous studies said there were four reasons for SMB: automatic negative reinforcement, to stop bad feelings, automatic positive reinforcement, to feel something, even if it is pain, social negative reinforcement, to avoid doing something unpleasant you do not want to do, and social positive reinforcement, to get attention. This new study hypothesizes there are more factors that contribute to SMB such as : the impulsiveness of SMB, the use of alcohol and drugs before SMB, the role of social modeling in the first time occurnace of SMB, and no physical pain experienced as a result of SMB. These researchers also said those suffering from major depressive dissorder and or posttraumatic stress disorder may also be at high risk for SMB

There were 89 participants, 23 boys and 66 girls ages 12 to17, psychiatric inpatients who reported taken part in SMB in the previous 12 months. Their ethnicities were 76.4% European American, 8.9% Latin American, 4.5% African American, and 10.1% mixed ethnicity or other. The data was obtained by interviews given on admission to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit. However for those who were admitted more than once, only their first time information was used for the study.

Those who engaged in SMB over the last 12 months was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation. Adolescents provided information about the number of different ways of SMB if and how many times they had engaged in behaviors such as cutting, burning, and inserting objects under their skin. They also provided information on other characteristics, including the amount of time they thought about each occurrence

before entering into the behavior, the intensity of physical pain experienced, the use of alcohol and/or drugs, and their knowledge of their friends participating in SMB.Participants' number of symptoms of MDD, PTSD, and past suicide attempt status were also evaluated with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. Additional clinical factors were examined as well such as, hopelessness assessed using the Hopelessness Scale for Children, loneliness which was assessed with the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and perfectionism which was assessed with the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale.

Most self-mutilators thought about SMB for a few minutes or less before performing each occurrence

and reported not using alcohol or drugs during. Even thought alcohol and drug use during SMB was minimal, most adolescents reported feeling little or no pain during each incident. Interestingly, 82.1% of adolescents reported SMB among at least one of their friends.

Validation of the social base braches for SMB were laregly associated with the amount of time spent thinking about SMB before happening. Validation of the social positive reinforcement branch was largely associated with the number of SMB occurrence

s performed by one's friends. Also, validation of SMB for the positive reinforcement base branch was largely associated with no alcohol or drug use. The relations between the four branches of