Award Date

8-1-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Christopher Kearney

Second Committee Member

Gloria Wong-Padoongpatt

Third Committee Member

Paul Nelson

Fourth Committee Member

Melva Thompson-Robinson

Number of Pages

171

Abstract

Maltreated youth are at an increased risk for engaging in direct or indirect self-injurious behavior to cope with the aftereffects of a traumatic event. These behaviors are often associated with negative health outcomes, substance use and premature death. Existing research proposes a link between child maltreatment and indirect self-harm but the mechanism into why this occurs is unclear. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) which specific trauma-related cognitions, sexual identity and cultural factors predict direct self-injurious behavior (previous suicide attempt(s) and NSSI) among marginalized maltreated youth?; and (2) which specific trauma-related cognitions, sexual identity and cultural factors predict indirect self-injurious behavior (recklessness, intentional misbehavior, delinquent behavior, problematic sexual behavior, substance use, and running away) among marginalized maltreated youth? A classification and regression tree (CART) analysis identified predictors of direct and indirect self-injurious behaviors. Participants included 133 sexual and racially/ethnically diverse maltreated youth in Department of Family Services (DFS) custody following removal from their home after substantiated child maltreatment. Hypothesis 1 was partially supported. The final models identified several predictors that best determined previous suicide attempt(s) and/or NSSI: (1) negative cognitions of self, (2) sexual orientation, (3) negative cognitions of world, (4) race/ethnicity, and (5) self-blame. Hypothesis 2 was partially supported. The final models identified several predictors that best determined one or more forms of indirect self-injurious behavior: (1) sexual orientation, (2) negative cognitions of self, (3) race/ethnicity, (4) self-blame, (5) experience cultural identity discrimination, (6) age, and (7) gender identity. The findings offer important implications for understanding the relationship between maltreatment, discrimination, trauma-related cognitions, and self-injurious behaviors to better inform assessment and treatment of marginalized maltreated youth.

Keywords

child maltreatment; cognition; discrimination; maladaptive coping; PTSD

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology

File Format

pdf

File Size

2200KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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