AUTHOR=Jankowski Melissa S. , Legasse Aubrey J. , Marques Victoria , Delcourt Meaghan L. , Haigh Emily A. P. 

TITLE=The smallest things make me emotional! Emotion reactivity in non-suicidal self-injury: trait, state, and physiological differences

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1309187

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1309187

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objective</title><p>The current study sought to clarify the role of emotion reactivity in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) by examining three forms of emotion reactivity (physiological and self-reported trait and state reactivity) among a sample of young adults with or without a history of NSSI.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Materials and methods</title><p>Seventy-six adults (<italic>M</italic><sub>age</sub> = 20.97, 73.7% female) participated in a semi-structured clinical interview to determine NSSI history and completed a measure of trait emotion reactivity. Participants then provided state emotion reactivity ratings before and after a social rejection task, recovery period, and positive mood induction while physiological data was continuously recorded.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Although individuals with a history of NSSI perceived themselves to be more emotionally reactive, these participants were not more physiologically reactive, nor were their state reactivity ratings significantly different from individuals without a history of NSSI.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Discussion</title><p>Results suggest increased emotionality in response to a stressor is within normal bounds and not unique to individuals with a history of NSSI, and provide implications for future research on the etiology and treatment of NSSI.</p></sec>