An Exploratory Study of the Nature and Extent of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury among College Women
Table 1
Demographic and psychological variables.
Characteristics of the sample
Overall
Non-NSSI sample
NSSI
(%)
(%)
(%)
Demographic variables
Years in college (1–4) means
2.5
2.5
2.4
<0.05
Age 18–24 mean
20.7
20.6
20.8
0.25
Race (white)
119 (72.1)
49 (65.3)
70 (77.8)
<0.07
Sexual orientation (heterosexual)
114 (69.1)
60 (80)
54 (60)
<0.001
Relationship status (single)
133 (80.6)
61 (81.3)
72 (80)
0.65
GPA
0.85
<2
2 (1.2)
1 (1.3)
1 (1.1)
2.1–3.0
28 (17)
14 (18.7)
14 (15.6)
3.1–4.0
135 (81.8)
60 (80)
75 (83.3)
Parents’ relationship status (married)
104 (63)
47 (62.7)
57 (63)
0.93
Primary parent’s education level
0.08
High school
15 (9.1)
7 (9.3)
8 (8.9)
College
67 (40.6)
38 (50.7)
29 (32.2)
Graduate or PhD
79 (47.9)
28 (37.3)
51 (56.7)
Secondary parent’s education level
0.42
High school
23 (13.9)
11 (14.7)
12 (13.3)
College
60 (36.4)
22 (29.3)
38 (42.2)
Graduate or PhD
53 (32.1)
26 (34.7)
27 (30)
Financial status
0.07
<60
60 (39.2)
33 (47.8)
27 (32.1)
60–119
50 (32.7)
18 (26.1)
32 (38.1)
120–179
17 (11.1)
5 (7.2)
12 (14.3)
180–239
14 (9.2)
5 (7.2)
9 (10.7)
240<
12 (7.8)
8 (11.6)
4 (4.8)
Psychological variables
BPD
16 (9.8)
2 (2.7)
14 (15.7)
<0.001
PTSD
27 (16.8)
5 (6.8)
22 (25)
<0.001
Attachment styles
<0.05
Secure
54 (32.9)
31 (41.3)
23 (25.8)
Dismissive
22 (13.4)
13 (17.3)
9 (10.1)
Preoccupied
29 (17.7)
7 (9.3)
22 (24.7)
<0.01*
Fearful
59 (36)
24 (32)
35 (39.3)
Cross-tabulation results indicated that there were fewer NSSI students who reported secure attachment styles than expected by chance. Likewise, there were greater numbers of self-injuring students with preoccupied attachment styles than expected by chance. Dismissive and fearful attachment styles had similar number in both groups in both the expected by chance and counted scores. Thus, a chi-squared test with secure and preoccupied attachment styles was run and indicated significance; , .
