Findings of a recent study provide support that erosion of barriers to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) (eg, aversion to self-injurious stimuli, decreased self-worth) may facilitate continued engagement in these dangerous behaviors. This study investigated diminished aversion toward self-injury (ie, NSSI, suicide/death-related stimuli) and self-criticism as unique NSSI risk factors. After terminating a treatment study, 154 adults with a recent and frequent NSSI history completed self-report and computer-based measures of psychopathology, implicit and explicit self-criticism, and implicit aversion to NSSI and death related stimuli. Participants were then contacted 4 weeks later to test factors predicting NSSI frequency over this follow-up period. Researchers found:

• Diminished aversion toward NSSI stimuli and self-criticism significantly predicted NSSI 4 weeks later.
• These effects were unique from other theoretically important predictors, such as past week NSSI frequency and number of NSSI methods employed.