From Childhood Trauma to Self-Harm: An Investigation of Theoretical Pathways among Female Prisoners

Citation

Howard R, Karatzias T, Power KG & Mahoney A (2017) From Childhood Trauma to Self-Harm: An Investigation of Theoretical Pathways among Female Prisoners. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 24 (4), pp. 942-951. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2058

Abstract
Background  Despite empirical evidence suggesting complex associations between childhood trauma and self-harm, there is a dearth of research investigating this association in the female prison population. The current study explored pathways to self-harm following childhood trauma, by investigating the mediating roles of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, emotion regulation and dissociation, in this relationship, within a sample of 89 female prisoners.  Methods  Cross-sectional, interview-format, questionnaire study within a female prison population. Measures of childhood trauma, self-harm, PTSD, emotion regulation and dissociation were administered.  Results  The majority of the sample (58.4%) reported history of self-harm. Bootstrapped mediation analyses indicated an indirect effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between childhood trauma and self-harm. An indirect effect was also found for PTSD arousal/reactivity cluster of symptoms. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that interactional effects were present for emotion regulation and arousal/reactivity, and emotion regulation and dissociation, respectively.  Conclusion  Self-harm is highly prevalent among female prisoners. Interventions promoting emotion regulation and addressing arousal/reactivity symptoms following traumatization may provide an effective way of addressing this problem.

Keywords
Self-Injurious Behaviour; Child Abuse; Emotion Regulation; Posttraumatic Stress Disorders; Prisons

Journal
Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy: Volume 24, Issue 4