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Impact of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Scale: Initial Psychometric Validation

Cognitive Therapy and Research volume 41, pages 130–142 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the impact of non-suicidal self-injury scale (INS), a scale developed to assess the social, behavioral, and emotional consequences of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). University students (N=128) who endorsed a history of NSSI were administered the INS, as well as measures of hypothesized convergent and divergent validity. Results suggested that the INS is best conceptualized as a one-factor scale, and internal consistency analyses indicated excellent reliability. The INS was significantly correlated with well-known measures of NSSI severity (i.e., NSSI frequency, NSSI recency), and measures of suicide attempt history and emotional reactivity. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the INS contributed unique variance to the prediction of physical disfigurement (i.e., NSSI scarring) and clinically significant social anxiety, even after taking into account NSSI frequency. Furthermore, the INS demonstrated divergent validity. Implications for research on NSSI disorder and clinical practice are discussed.

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  1. Psychology Department, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 N 13th St., Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA

    Taylor A. Burke, Brooke A. Ammerman, Jessica L. Hamilton & Lauren B. Alloy

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Burke, T.A., Ammerman, B.A., Hamilton, J.L. et al. Impact of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Scale: Initial Psychometric Validation. Cogn Ther Res 41, 130–142 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-016-9806-9

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Keywords

  • Non-suicidal self-injury
  • Impairment
  • NSSI disorder
  • Severity