title: Exploring application of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behaviour to self-injurious behaviour among women prisoners: Proposing a new model of understanding.
abstract: The current study examines the application of capacity, psychological distress, coping and personality to an understanding of self-injurious behaviour, with a specific focus on testing the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behaviour (IPTSB). One hundred and ninety women prisoners took part, completing a history questionnaire and measures of personality, coping styles and psychological distress. It was expected that self-injurious behaviour would be predicted by higher levels of emotional functioning difficulties, by an increased capacity to engage in such behaviours, by previous self-injurious behaviour, decreased levels of emotional stability and increased levels of emotional coping behaviour. Results supported the capacity component of the IPTSB, indicating that an increased history of self-injurious behaviour and of engagement in reckless behaviour were particular predictors. Increased psychological distress in some domains was also a predictor although the exact domain varied across the type of self-injurious engagement Increased levels of extraversion and decreased emotional coping predicted increased self-injurious engagement, although emotional coping only related to threats and cognition. The results point to the applicability of Interpersonal-Psychological Theory to understanding self-injurious behaviour and the importance of developing a revised model. The paper presents this in the form of the Integrated Model of Self-Injurious Activity.
authors.affiliation: Ashworth Research Centre, High Secure Psychiatric Services, Mersey Care NHS Trust, and University of Central Lancashire, UK. JLIreland1@uclan.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: York
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult