Deliberate Self-Harm and State Dissociation: An Experimental Investigation

The purpose of this study was to test the relation between deliberate self-harm (DSH) and state dissociation. Participants (N = 85) were randomly assigned to self-administer either a very mild electric shock below their pain threshold (a no-self-harm control condition) or an electric shock they were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma maltreatment & trauma, 2008-11, Vol.17 (4), p.520-532
Main Authors: Lee Bracken, Katherine, Berman, Mitchell E., McCloskey, Michael S., Bullock, Joshua S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
dissociative experiences
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
self-aggression
Self-injury
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to test the relation between deliberate self-harm (DSH) and state dissociation. Participants (N = 85) were randomly assigned to self-administer either a very mild electric shock below their pain threshold (a no-self-harm control condition) or an electric shock they were told could "cause minor tissue damage that would heal quickly," but which was in fact equal to a predetermined pain threshold (a DSH condition). After task completion, 42 participants rated the extent of their dissociation before the shock and 43 rated the extent of their dissociation after the shock. Results indicated that women in the DSH group experienced more dissociation compared to men, but only after the shock. Potential reasons for this gender effect are discussed.
ISSN:1092-6771
1545-083X
DOI:10.1080/10926770802463230