An Exploration of Emotional Regulation, Adult Attachment, Aggression Orientation, Trauma Symptoms, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behaviour among Young Adult Students

Abstract

The study assessed the occurrence, method, and intent of non-suicidal self-injury among young adults in Kolkata and its association with emotion regulation, attachment patterns, aggression orientation, and trauma symptoms. The current study consisted of a sample of 204 individuals, within the range of 18-26 years, currently enrolled in any full-time educational course, who were selected via multistage sampling. The level of engagement in non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM) questionnaire. For assessing the abovementioned correlational variables Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), Aggression Orientation Scale (AOS), and Trauma Symptoms Checklist-40 (TSC-40) were used respectively. It was found that among these 204 participants, 118 individuals had never engaged in non-suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviour in their lifetime, while 67 individuals had engaged in some significant kind of NSSI behaviour in the past year.  Results from the quantitative analyses revealed significant positive correlations between NSSI behaviour and difficulties in emotional regulation, particular domains of adult attachment, certain aspects of aggression orientation, and trauma symptoms in general. Significant differences were also found across variables of difficulties in emotional regulation, specific domains of adult attachment, aggression orientation, and trauma symptoms, among the two groups. The variables were also explored as prospective predictors of NSSI behaviour. The findings of the study provide us with an impetus to explore the occurrence of NSSID, exploration of associated variables and efficacious psychotherapeutic interventions in the future.