THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND NON-SUICIDAL SELF-INJURY: EMOTION DYSREGULATION AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the link between childhood trauma and non-suicidal self-injury, with a particular emphasis on investigating the role of emotion dysregulation as a mediator. A sample of 267 young adults with ages between 18 to 35 years (M=22.86, SD=2.45) were recruited from universities in Islamabad. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein, 1994), Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Tool (Whitlock, 2014) along with Demographic Information Sheet were used. The results of the study reveal that childhood trauma significantly predicted nonsuicidal self-injury. Further, emotion dysregulation served as a mediator between childhood trauma and non-suicidal self-injury. This suggests that adults with a history of childhood trauma may experience difficulties in regulating their emotions, predisposing them to engage in non-suicidal self-injury. The implications of this study highlight the importance of addressing emotion dysregulation in prevention and treatment interventions.