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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Self-mutilation among male patients with alcohol dependency: the role of dissociation
Comprehensive Psychiatry Volume 49, Issue 5, September-October 2008, Pages 489-495

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of self-mutilative behavior with dissociative experiences among men who are alcohol dependent.

A sizable proportion of patients (29.0%) reported self-mutilation (SM). Childhood abuse, younger age, early onset of alcoholism, and dissociative taxon membership predicted SM. The overall severity of clinical condition and the frequency of suicide attempts among those who reported SM were higher than those of the remaining patients. The Dissociative Experiences Scale-Taxon item “auditory verbal hallucinations” and the Symptom Checklist-Revised dimension “hostility” were predictors of SM.

There is a complex relationship between dissociation, alcohol use, and SM. Increased awareness among clinicians on this relationship may increase the effectiveness of treatment interventions.

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