Self-Blame As a Coping Strategy: An Antecedent or Consequence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury?

Although self-blame and nonsuicidal self-injury are associated cross-sectionally, the direction of this association remains unclear. This study addressed this gap in 704 college freshmen using monthly surveys. Results showed that self-blame and NSSI covaried within months. Whereas within-person increases in NSSI predicted next-month self-blame, self-blame did not predict next-month NSSI.