Executive functioning in psychiatric patients with deliberate self-harm, as compared with a psychiatric and a healthy comparison group
Nilsson, Magnus LU
; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar
LU
; Westrin, Åsa
LU
and Westling, Sofie
LU
(2021)
In Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
43(3).
p.225-237
- Abstract
Introduction: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common symptom in psychiatric disorders. It is a cross-diagnostic symptom, although it has mainly been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has suggested an association between DSH and deficits in executive functioning. The main aim of the current study was to assess three specific aspects of executive functioning (EF) (working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility) among psychiatric patients with DSH, compared to a clinical and a healthy comparison group.Methods: Thirty psychiatric patients with DSH, 29 psychiatric patients without DSH and 29 healthy individuals were assessed with regard to psychiatric illness, self-harming behavior, EF, general cognitive... (More)
Introduction: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common symptom in psychiatric disorders. It is a cross-diagnostic symptom, although it has mainly been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has suggested an association between DSH and deficits in executive functioning. The main aim of the current study was to assess three specific aspects of executive functioning (EF) (working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility) among psychiatric patients with DSH, compared to a clinical and a healthy comparison group.Methods: Thirty psychiatric patients with DSH, 29 psychiatric patients without DSH and 29 healthy individuals were assessed with regard to psychiatric illness, self-harming behavior, EF, general cognitive functioning level and measures of psychopathology. The results were analyzed by means of ANOVA, regression analysis, Chi-square, and correlation analysis.Results: The patients with DSH showed deficits in cognitive flexibility and inhibition as compared to healthy individuals. In addition, the patients with DSH had greater deficits in cognitive flexibility than the patients without DSH; this effect was independent of concurrent severity of depressive symptoms but not independent of borderline symptomatology.Conclusion: Psychiatric patients with DSH may have deficits in cognitive flexibility as compared to both the healthy and clinical comparison groups. The results partly differ from previous related studies in the field. It is unclear to which extent the deficits in cognitive flexibility are due to other factors. More research is needed to understand the implications of such deficits, and if the results could be used for adapting treatment services and strategies. Future studies should include more similar comparison groups.
(Less)
- author
- Nilsson, Magnus
LU
; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar
LU
; Westrin, Åsa
LU
and Westling, Sofie
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-05-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:33949907
- scopus:85105378540
- ISSN
- 1744-411X
- DOI
- 10.1080/13803395.2021.1894094
- project
- Cognitive functioning, self criticism and attitudes in persons with deliberate self harm
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- faae1b81-f317-4342-bb4b-b88c8a421b00
- alternative location
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13803395.2021.1894094
- date added to LUP
- 2021-05-06 16:05:21
- date last changed
- 2024-04-20 05:53:12
@article{faae1b81-f317-4342-bb4b-b88c8a421b00,
abstract = {{<p>Introduction: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common symptom in psychiatric disorders. It is a cross-diagnostic symptom, although it has mainly been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has suggested an association between DSH and deficits in executive functioning. The main aim of the current study was to assess three specific aspects of executive functioning (EF) (working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility) among psychiatric patients with DSH, compared to a clinical and a healthy comparison group.Methods: Thirty psychiatric patients with DSH, 29 psychiatric patients without DSH and 29 healthy individuals were assessed with regard to psychiatric illness, self-harming behavior, EF, general cognitive functioning level and measures of psychopathology. The results were analyzed by means of ANOVA, regression analysis, Chi-square, and correlation analysis.Results: The patients with DSH showed deficits in cognitive flexibility and inhibition as compared to healthy individuals. In addition, the patients with DSH had greater deficits in cognitive flexibility than the patients without DSH; this effect was independent of concurrent severity of depressive symptoms but not independent of borderline symptomatology.Conclusion: Psychiatric patients with DSH may have deficits in cognitive flexibility as compared to both the healthy and clinical comparison groups. The results partly differ from previous related studies in the field. It is unclear to which extent the deficits in cognitive flexibility are due to other factors. More research is needed to understand the implications of such deficits, and if the results could be used for adapting treatment services and strategies. Future studies should include more similar comparison groups.</p>}},
author = {{Nilsson, Magnus and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar and Westrin, Åsa and Westling, Sofie}},
issn = {{1744-411X}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{225--237}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology}},
title = {{Executive functioning in psychiatric patients with deliberate self-harm, as compared with a psychiatric and a healthy comparison group}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2021.1894094}},
doi = {{10.1080/13803395.2021.1894094}},
volume = {{43}},
year = {{2021}},
}