Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2025

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Advisor

Emily A. P. Haigh

Second Committee Member

Jeffrey E. Hecker

Third Committee Member

Jennifer B. Blossom

Additional Committee Members

Jordan P. LaBouff

Cynthia A. Erdley

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), or the harming of one’s own body without the intention to die, is a significant public health concern that is rising in prevalence. Leading theoretical models and researchers highlight the role of emotion regulation, or the management of one’s experience and expression of emotions, which has been empirically linked to the onset and treatment of NSSI. Although emotion regulation is a dynamic process, most research has used trait-based measures to assess how individuals with a history of NSSI manage their emotions in real time. A more granular test of emotion regulation use is needed to improve understanding about why individuals engage in NSSI in the moment. Given this body of literature, investigating the actual emotion regulation strategies used in different mood contexts is crucial to our understanding about NSSI. This paradigm seeks to highlight what strategies are actually used, instead of drawing inferences from trait measures (i.e., global tendencies), and examine how these strategies may be influenced by various mood states.

The central aim of this study was to examine real-time emotion regulation strategies and affect changes in response to experimentally-induced mood states via neutral, negative, and positive mood inductions among individuals with or without NSSI history. Participants (N = 200, ages 18-38) included individuals with (n = 89, 68.5% female-identifying) and without (n = 111, 52.3% female-identifying) histories of NSSI. During an online session, participants responded to self-report questionnaires that assessed NSSI, suicide, and depressive behaviors. Then, they provided self-reported state affect and emotion regulation strategies before and after participating in three mood inductions (i.e., neutral, negative, and positive).

Results suggested that levels of state cognitive reappraisal, reframing a situation in one’s mind, and rumination, cyclical thinking about a negative situation or event, may differ between individuals with or without NSSI histories. Specifically, state cognitive reappraisal decreased for individuals without a history of NSSI following the negative mood induction and state rumination decreased for participants who reported an NSSI history following the positive mood induction and over the course of the entire experiment. Further, individuals with a history of NSSI reported a blunted affective response (i.e., less negative mood). Future research and potential clinical implications in light of these findings are discussed.

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