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

Howard, Ruth; Karatzias, Thanos; Power, Kevin; Mahoney, Adam

Abstract

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.

Citation

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

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 17, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Nov 22, 2016
• Publication Date: 2017-07
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2017
• Journal: Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
• Print ISSN: 1063-3995
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 942-951
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2058
• Keywords: Self-Injurious Behaviour; Child Abuse; Emotion Regulation; Posttraumatic Stress Disorders; Prisons
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/930318