Restrictive eating and nonsuicidal self-injury in a nonclinical sample: Co-occurrence and associations with emotion dysregulation and interpersonal problems

Shirley B. Wang, Emily M. Pisetsky, Julie M. Skutch, Alan E. Fruzzetti, Ann F. Haynos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Disordered eating frequently co-occurs with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and evidence suggests that the co-occurrence of these behaviors is associated with heightened emotion dysregulation. However, little is known about the relationship between restrictive eating and NSSI, and the significance of their co-occurrence. This study examined cross-sectional associations between self-reported restrictive eating, NSSI, and putative mechanisms of emotion regulation and interpersonal problems in a non-clinical sample of undergraduate students (N = 98, 80.6% female), using the Dietary Restriction Screener (Haynos & Fruzzetti, 2015), Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (Gratz, 2001), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2006), and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Personality Disorders-25 (Kim & Pilkonis, 1999). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that restrictive eating was associated with NSSI above and beyond the influence of binge eating, purging, and relevant covariates (B = 2.04, p < 0.001). In addition, multivariate analyses of variance revealed that the co-occurrence of restrictive eating and NSSI was associated with greater difficulties accessing and implementing effective, rather than impulsive, emotion regulation strategies when distressed than either behavior alone (p < 0.001). Findings highlight the seriousness of restrictive eating even within a nonclinical sample, as it is associated with heightened probability of NSSI and clinical severity among those who engage in co-morbid NSSI. Healthcare providers are encouraged to screen for NSSI among individuals with restrictive eating. In addition, a focus on improving emotion regulation and interpersonal skills may enhance prevention and intervention efforts for individuals with co-occurring restrictive eating and NSSI behaviors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)128-132
Number of pages5
JournalComprehensive Psychiatry
Volume82
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Ann Haynos received supported from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers T32MH082761 and K23MH112867. Shirley Wang is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1745303. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Science Foundation.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018

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