Self-harm in the cycle of (moral) emotions: an exploratory analysis of emotional triggers and responses

Self-harm represents a serious mental health concern in which emotional experiences play a significant role in both its onset and maintenance. This exploratory study examined which emotions were most frequently reported before and after self-harm, how selected emotions changed following self-harm, and how emotional experiences were associated with specific forms of self-harm and demographic factors (gender, religious identification). The sample comprised of 158 university students, of whom 130 reported a history of self-harming behavior and were included in analyses of emotional experiences. Data were collected using a modified Self-Harm Inventory questionnaire and measures assessing the occurrence of emotions before and after self-harm. Anger, feelings of failure, and sadness were the most frequently reported emotions preceding self-harm, whereas sadness, relief, disappointment, guilt, and shame were the most frequently reported emotions following self-harm. The reported frequency of anger, guilt, and sadness decreased following self-harm, whereas negative emotions remained prominent after the behavior. After Benjamini–Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons, religious identification remained negatively associated with self-harm frequency and with the reported frequency of several emotions. Gender was not significantly associated with the examined variables, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously given the gender imbalance and limited sample size. After correction, selected associations between emotions and specific forms of self-harm remained significant, including associations of anger with hitting oneself, disgust with starving oneself, hatred with self-defeating thoughts, guilt following laxative misuse, and changes in anger with hitting oneself and intentionally worsening medical situations. Overall, the findings indicate selective associations between emotional experiences and self-harming behavior while underscoring the need for longitudinal and event-level research to clarify their temporal and causal dynamics.