From Childhood Trauma to Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior: The Roles of Negative Valence, Social Processes, and Cognitive Systems Based on the Research Domain Criteria Framework

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious and prevalent problem within the adult population. This cross-sectional study examined the moderating roles of negative valence, social processes, and cognitive systems in the relationship between childhood trauma (CT) and non-suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSI) based on Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Methods: The present study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional design. Male young adults with a history of NSSI (N=118), aged 18 to 30 years, who visited a medical clinic in Mashhad, Iran, between 2019 and 2021, participated in the study. Participants completed self-report measures including the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS). The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Participants reporting higher severity of NSSI also scored higher on measures of CT (r=0.51, P<0.05). Besides, executive dysfunction and perceived social support were shown to be associated with higher levels of all risk factors for NSSI and moderated the relationship between CT and NSSI. Moreover, executive dysfunction moderated the indirect effect of CT on NSSI through subjective units of distress. However, this effect was not moderated by anxiety sensitivity. Conclusion: The findings from the present study suggested that childhood trauma had a significant positive effect on distress, anxiety sensitivity, and deficits in executive functioning, confirming the mediating role of social capital in the relationship between CT and NSSI.