title: The affect stabilization function of nonsuicidal self injury in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Ecological Momentary Assessment study.
abstract: Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is prominent in individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and there is abundant evidence that affect regulation plays an important role in NSSI in the majority of patients. Affective variability is a core feature of BPD, and thus, we hypothesize that NSSI has an affect stabilization function in BPD. Affect stabilization is a process through which individuals attempt to make their affect more stable by reducing affective variability. We tested this hypothesis in 32 participants with BPD who reported on their NSSI and affect -using a displeasure-pleasure (valence) and activation-deactivation (activation) dimension- in an experience sampling study with 10 random signals scheduled per day for 8 days. Results indicated that individuals who engaged in NSSI show more Within Subject (WS) variance in valence and activation than individuals who did not engage in NSSI. However, within the NSSI patients, individuals who engaged more frequently in NSSI during the study showed less WS variance in valence and activation than patients who engaged less frequently in NSSI. This suggests that NSSI may be reinforced by its affect stabilization function. In the discussion, we explore alternative explanations for the relation between NSSI and affective variability, and consider the clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070 Kortenberg, Belgium. Electronic address: Kristof.Vansteelandt@upckuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vansteelandt
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Marlies.Houben@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; University Department of Psychiatry, Campus Psychiatric Hospital Duffel, Stationsstraat 22, 2570 Duffel, Belgium. Electronic address: Laurence.Claes@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Claes
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Campus Psychiatric Hospital Duffel, Stationsstraat 22, 2570 Duffel, Belgium. Electronic address: Ann.Berens@emmaus.be.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berens
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Campus Psychiatric Hospital Duffel, Stationsstraat 22, 2570 Duffel, Belgium. Electronic address: Ellen.Sleuwaegen@emmanus.be.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sleuwaegen
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuvensesteenweg 517, 3070 Kortenberg, Belgium. Electronic address: Pascal.Sienaert@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sienaert
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: Peter.Kuppens@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuppens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D000072860:Ecological Momentary Assessment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Affect regulation; Affect stabilization; Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA); Heterogeneous mixed models; Nonsuicidal Self-injury (NSSI)