The relationship between dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, impulsivity, sexual abuse, and self-mutilation
- 29 February 1996
- journal article
- Published by Elsevier BV in Comprehensive Psychiatry
- Vol. 37 (1), 12-16
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-440x(96)90044-9
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.Keywords
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