Self-mutilating behaviour of psychiatric inpatients

In the present study two broad hypotheses about the origins of self-mutilat ion in psychiatric patients were evaluated. The first hypothesis states tha t self-mutilation originates from child abuse and experiences of neglect an d is connected to dissociation in later life. The second hypothesis views s elf-mutilation as the consequence of impulse control problems. To test thes e two hypotheses, data concerning traumatic childhood experiences and disso ciative symptoms (hypothesis 1), as well as data concerning aggressiveness, obsessive-compulsiveness and sensation seeking (hypothesis 2) were collect ed in a sample of 54 psychiatric inpatients. Twenty-four out of 54 patients (44%) reported having engaged in self-mutilation, Mean age of onset of thi s behaviour was 23 years. Self-report measures of self-mutilators were more in line with the first than with the second hypothesis. That is, patients who engaged in self-mutilation reported more traumatic childhood experience s and dissociative symptoms than did control patients. The two groups did n ot differ in terms of aggressiveness, obsessive-compulsiveness, and sensati on seeking. In line with earlier studies, the current results indicate that self-mutilating behaviour is linked to a history of abuse and neglect. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.