Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and disordered eating (DE) are common self-directed behaviors among adolescents and young adults, with rising prevalence in recent decades (Gillies et al., 2018; McManus et al., 2019; Sivertsen et al., 2019). Their co-occurrence is well established and linked to more severe psychopathology, greater variety of self-injury methods, and a more persistent course of eating disorders (Claes et al., 2003; Turner et al., 2013, 2015). Research suggests several shared risk factors—negative affect, emotion regulation difficulties, self-criticism, dissociation, and body dissatisfaction—as well as similar behavioral functions (Anderson et al., 2018; Cipriano et al., 2023; Muehlenkamp et al., 2011; Hasking & Claes, 2020; Zelkowitz & Cole, 2019). However, most studies are cross-sectional and do not capture the proximal, moment-to-moment processes preceding these behaviors (Turner et al., 2016; Velkoff & Smith, 2023).
To address these gaps, this project integrates a transdiagnostic perspective and network models to investigate everyday processes underlying the co-occurrence of NSSI and DE, and to develop a personalized, data-informed intervention. The general aim is to identify proximal mechanisms and maintenance pathways that link NSSI and DE, and to build a personalized intervention targeting the most central symptoms at the individual level.
Specific Objectives
O1. To examine daily experiences of NSSI and DE and their associated risk factors and functions.
O2. To investigate maintenance pathways among NSSI, DE, and their risk factors using network models.
O3. To evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized online intervention informed by individual network models.