A longitudinal investigation of the relation between nonsuicidal self-injury and spirituality/religiosity.
Despite increased research on factors that predict engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), one factor that has been neglected is spirituality/religiosity. While some researchers suggest that spiritual/religious beliefs and practice may protect against aversive mental health outcomes, it also is possible that certain aspects of spirituality/religiosity - specifically doubt and questioning - may be distressing. In this study, we examined whether multiple dimensions of spirituality/religiosity, including the often-overlooked experience of doubt/questioning, were associated with engagement in NSSI among university students over time. Participants included 1,132 (70.5% female) first-year undergraduate students (Mean age=19.06, SD=1.05) from a Canadian university who were surveyed first in their freshman year, and again one year later. Auto-regressive cross-lagged analyses revealed a bidirectional relation between doubt/questioning and NSSI, where higher doubt/questioning predicted increased NSSI over time (after controlling for baseline depressive symptoms), and vice versa. There were no longitudinal associations between general spirituality/religiosity (i.e., general beliefs/practice) and NSSI. Our findings suggest questioning and doubt may be distressing for some individuals, and predict increased risk for NSSI as a form of coping. Further, higher NSSI may predict increases in questioning/doubt over time. However, the hypothesis that general spirituality/religiosity may protect against NSSI, was not supported.
Department of Psychology, Redeemer University College, 777 Garner Rd E., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, L9K 1J4. Electronic address: mgood@redeemer.ca.
Marie
M
Good
Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Chloe
C
Hamza
Department of Psychology, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Teena
T
Willoughby
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D029181:Spirituality; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
Deliberate self-harm; Longitudinal studies; Psychology; Religion; Self-injurious behavior; Self-mutilation