ADULT ATTACHMENT AND NON-SUICIDAL SELF-INJURY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS WITH PERCEIVED CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the relationship between Adult Attachment and Non Suicidal Self-Injury among young adults with Perceived Childhood Trauma. The Correlational research design was employed and a sample (N=124) having age range 18-24 (M=21.27, SD=1.59) was collected through purposive sampling from undergraduate university students. Mean age of participants was 21.27(SD=1.59). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was employed to measure Childhood trauma, Experiences in Close Relationship Scale was employed to assess Adult Attachment and Inventory of Statements about Self-injury was employed to assess Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. It was hypothesized that there would likely to relationship between Perceived Childhood Trauma, Adult Attachment and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Adult Attachment would likely to mediate the relationship between Perceived Childhood Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and there would likely to be gender difference between Perceived Childhood Trauma, Adult Attachment and Non Suicidal Self-Injury among boys and girls among university students. The descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Mediation Analysis were run to generate results. The independent sample t-test was run as additional analysis. Results indicated significant strong positive correlation between Perceived Childhood Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury , significant moderate positive correlation between Perceived Childhood Trauma and Adult Attachment and significant moderate positive correlation between Adult Attachment and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. Furthermore results indicated Adult Attachment partially mediate the relationship between Perceived Childhood Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. No gender difference was found on Perceived Childhood Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. Gender difference was found on type of Adult Attachment; females reported to have Anxious Attachment and Males reported to have high Avoidant Attachment