2 - (SYM 39) Relations Between Negative Urgency, Interpersonal Problems, and Non-suicidal Self-injury: An 18-month Investigation with High-risk Youth

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), defined as deliberate destruction of bodily tissue without suicidal intent, is a significant public health concern among adolescents. Extant research with clinical and community samples has demonstrated a link between NSSI and impulsivity within the context of negative affect (i.e., negative urgency). Existing experimental work from social psychology has demonstrated that interpersonal challenges and the resulting negative affect can magnify the relation between negative urgency and impulsive behavior. However, few studies have examined whether such a relation predicts NSSI, which is often conceptualized as an impulsive behavior. The aim of the current study was to examine longitudinal relations between negative urgency, interpersonal problems, and NSSI using a multiverse approach. Specifically, interpersonal problems were hypothesized to moderate the relation between baseline levels of negative urgency and 6-, 12-, and 18-month presence (versus absence) of NSSI. The sample consisted of 180 youth recently discharged from inpatient hospitalization (Mage = 14.89; SD = 1.35; range = 12-17; 71.7% female; 78.9% White; 8.9% Black; 3.3% Asian; 8.9% Multiracial; 17.8% Hispanic/Latino/a/x;). Self-report measures of negative urgency (UPPS) and interpersonal problems (CDI-2 Interpersonal Problems subscale) were provided at baseline. Lifetime and prospective presence of NSSI (i.e., at 6-, 12-, and 18-months post-hospitalization) were assessed using a clinical interview (SITBI). Logistic regressions and simple slopes analyses were conducted in Mplus version 8.9. After accounting for lifetime presence of NSSI, age, and sex, interpersonal problems moderated the relation between negative urgency and presence of NSSI at 12-months (b = 0.18,
p = .017) and 18-months (b = 0.19, p = .017), but not 6-months (b = 0.05, p = .501), post-hospitalization. Specifically, greater (versus less) interpersonal problems at baseline bolstered the relation between baseline negative urgency and engagement in NSSI at 12- and 18-months. Results suggest that helping youth address interpersonal problems during hospitalization may help reduce the odds of NSSI engagement post-hospitalization.