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Characteristics of self‐cutters among male inmates: Association with bulimia and dissociation
Author(s) -
MATSUMOTO TOSHIHIKO,
YAMAGUCHI AKIKO,
ASAMI TAKESHI,
OKADA TAKAYUKI,
YOSHIKAWA KAZUO,
HIRAYASU YOSHIO
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2005.01377.x
Subject(s) - psychology , dissociative experiences scale , suicidal ideation , psychiatry , clinical psychology , logistic regression , dissociative , odds ratio , injury prevention , poison control , medicine , cognition , medical emergency , schizotypy
It was examined whether bulimia and dissociation are common in male self‐cutters, as has been found in female self‐cutters. The subjects were 796 male inmates of a juvenile prison. A self‐reporting questionnaire was used to assess self‐cutting, histories of psychoactive substance use, problem behaviors, and traumatic life events in the subjects. The Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale and the Bulimia Investigatory Test of Edinburgh were also used. Subjects were divided into two groups: self‐cutting and non‐cutting. Questionnaire responses and dissociation and bulimia assessments were compared between the groups. Self‐cutters began smoking ( P < 0.001) and drinking ( P < 0.001) earlier, and more frequently used illicit psychoactive drugs ( P < 0.001), experienced childhood physical abuse ( P < 0.001), and reported suicide attempts ( P < 0.001), suicidal ideation ( P < 0.001), and outward violence toward a person ( P < 0.001) or object ( P < 0.001) than non‐cutters. Self‐cutters also scored significantly higher on the bulimia ( P < 0.001) and dissociation tests ( P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that suicide attempt (odds ratio, 4.311) and suicidal ideation (odds ratio, 2.336) could discriminate between male inmates with and without self‐cutting. Male self‐cutters showed ‘multi‐impulsive bulimic’ tendencies resembling those of female self‐cutters, although to a lesser extent. Clinical features of male as opposed to female self‐cutters were influenced by gender differences.