Citation

Patel TA, Dillon KH, Cassiello-Robbins C, Calhoun PS, Beckham JC, Kimbrel NA. J. Psychiatr. Res. 2022; 147: 269-273.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.036

PMID

35074743

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been identified as one of the strongest predictors of suicide attempts. Wall/object punching is a particularly prevalent form of NSSI among male veterans that has been linked to both impulsivity and anger. The objective of the present study was to examine the indirect effect of impulsivity on wall/object punching via anger. Participants included 124 veterans (32 identified as women, 92 identified as men) with at least one psychiatric disorder. A third of the sample met criteria for NSSI disorder (33.1%) with nearly a half of the remaining sample endorsing NSSI. Almost half (41.94%) of the sample endorsed wall/object punching. Consistent with our hypothesis, impulsivity was significantly associated with anger, which was, in turn, significantly associated with wall/object punching. Impulsivity was found to be indirectly related to wall/object punching via anger. These findings underscore the significance of assessing and treating anger among veterans engaging in wall/object punching. Improving our knowledge of anger and impulsivity and their relationship with this particularly prevalent form of NSSI among veterans may lead to a better understanding of suicide risk among veterans and inform future treatments.

Language: en

Keywords

Anger; Veterans; Impulsivity; Nonsuicidal self-injury; Wall punching