Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Child maltreatment, subsequent non-suicidal self-injury and the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia and self-blame

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Swannell, S.
    Martin, G.
    Page, A.
    Hasking, Penelope
    Hazell, P.
    Taylor, A.
    Protani, M.
    Date
    2012
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Swannell, S. and Martin, G. and Page, A. and Hasking, P. and Hazell, P. and Taylor, A. and Protani, M. 2012. Child maltreatment, subsequent non-suicidal self-injury and the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia and self-blame. Child Abuse and Neglect. 36: pp. 572-584.
    Source Title
    Child Abuse and Neglect
    DOI
    10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.05.005
    ISSN
    0145-2134
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7099
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Objective: Although child maltreatment is associated with later non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the mechanism through which it might lead to NSSI is not well understood. The current retrospective case-control study examined associations between child maltreatment and later NSSI, and investigated the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame. Methods: Participants were 11,423 Australian adults (response rate 38.5%), randomly selected from the Australian Electronic White Pages, aged between 18 and 100 (. M=. 52.11, . SD=. 16.89), 62.2% female. Data were collected via telephone interviewing. Main outcome measures were reported history of child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect) and reported 12-month NSSI. Dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame were examined as potential mediating variables in the relationship between child maltreatment and later NSSI. All analyses were conducted using logistic regression and adjusted for age and psychiatric diagnosis. Results: Results differed by gender. Compared to no child maltreatment, physical abuse (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.68-4.51) and neglect (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.65-3.99) independently increased the odds of NSSI among females. Physical abuse (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.44-5.03) increased the odds of NSSI among males. Sexual abuse did not independently increase the odds of NSSI for males or females. For females, self-blame had the greatest effect on the child maltreatment-NSSI relationship (OR decreased by 14.6%, . p<. .000), although dissociation and alexithymia also partially mediated the relationship. For males, dissociation had the greatest effect (OR decreased by 12.9%, . p=. .003) with self-blame also having a relatively strong effect. Conclusions: The results indicate that child maltreatment, and in particular, physical abuse, is strongly associated with the development of subsequent NSSI and may be partially mediated by dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame for females and dissociation and self-blame for males. Altering attributional style (through cognitive therapy or emotion focussed therapy) and improving the capacity to regulate emotions (through dialectical behaviour therapy) may contribute to reduction or cessation of NSSI.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Shame and Non-suicidal Self-injury: Conceptualization and Preliminary Test of a Novel Developmental Model among Emerging Adults
      Mahtani, S.; Hasking, Penelope; Melvin, G. (2018)
      © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is particularly prevalent during adolescence and emerging adulthood. The salience of shame during these developmental ...
    • Alcohol and tobacco use among maltreated and non-maltreated adolescents in a birth cohort
      Mills, R.; Alati, Rosa; Strathearn, L.; Najman, J. (2014)
      Aims: This study examines whether child maltreatment experience predicts adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. Methods: The subjects were participants in the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), a birth cohort of ...
    • The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS): Protocol for a national survey of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect, associated mental disorders and physical health problems, and burden of disease
      Mathews, B.; Pacella, R.; Dunne, M.; Scott, J.; Finkelhor, D.; Meinck, F.; Higgins, D.J.; Erskine, H.; Thomas, H.J.; Haslam, D.; Tran, N.; Le, H.; Honey, N.; Kellard, K.; Lawrence, David (2021)
      Introduction: Child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence) is widely understood to be associated with multiple mental health disorders, physical health ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.