title: The functions of nonsuicidal self-injury: converging evidence for a two-factor structure.
abstract: Research has identified more than a dozen functions of non-suicidal self-injury (NSI), but the conceptual and empirical overlap among these functions remains unclear. The present study examined the structure of NSI functions in two large samples of patients receiving acute-care treatment for NSI. Two different measures of NSI functions were utilized to maximize generalizability of findings: one sample (n = 946) was administered the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS; Klonsky and Glenn in J Psychopathol Behav Assess 31:215-219, 2009), and a second sample (n = 211) was administered the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM; Lloyd et al. in Self-mutilation in a community sample of adolescents: descriptive characteristics and provisional prevalence rates. Poster session at the annual meeting of the Society for Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 1997). Exploratory factor analyses revealed that both measures exhibited a robust two-factor structure: one factor represented Intrapersonal functions, such as affect regulation and anti-dissociation, and a second factor represented Social functions, such as interpersonal influence and peer bonding. In support of the two-factor structure's construct validity, the factors exhibited a pattern of correlations with indicators of NSI severity that was consistent with past research and theory. Findings have important implications for theory, research, and treatment. In particular, the two-factor framework should guide clinical assessment, as well as future research on the implications of NSI functions for course, prognosis, treatment, and suicide risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada.
authors.forename: E David
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Klonsky
authors.affiliation: Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Glenn
authors.affiliation: Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Hoffman Estates, USA.
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Styer
authors.affiliation: Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Olino
authors.affiliation: Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: Jason J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Washburn