INTRODUCTION: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is the deliberate harm to one’s body without suicidal intent, often used to regulate intense negative emotions. Alexithymia involves difficulties identifying and describing emotions, leading to impaired emotion regulation. Exploring links between emotional arousal, alexithymia, and NSSI may clarify mechanisms of self-injury.

AIM(S): The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and emotional arousal in women engaging in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI). Specifically, the study sought to compare emotional reactivity and affective valence in response to different types of visual stimuli, as well as levels of alexithymia, between women with a history of NSSI and a control group.

METHOD(S): The study involved 405 adult women aged 18 to 22, including 214 individuals with a history of NSSI and 191 women in the control group. Among the entire sample, 209 participants displayed alexithymic traits. The following research instruments were used: the Inventory of Statemets About Self-Injury (ISAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and a custom-developed computer program designed to assess emotional arousal and affective valence.

RESULTS: Women with NSSI did not differ from controls in emotional arousal, but they reported lower negative affect in response to drastic and negative images. They showed higher levels of alexithymia, which was positively associated with difficulties in identifying and verbalizing emotions. The most commonly reported functions of self-injury were affect regulation and self-punishment.

CONCLUSIONS: Women engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) showed similar emotional arousal to controls but lower negative affect to extreme negative images. They had higher alexithymia, with NSSI linked to difficulty identifying/verbalizing emotions. NSSI served mainly affect regulation and self-punishment. Responses to positive stimuli highlight the potential of boosting positive emotions in therapy.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: None