Dynamic Exploratory Graph Analysis (dynEGA) of Affect and Self-harm urge in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): Three Illustrative Case Studies

Objectives: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is closely linked to negative emotions and is often preceded by urges to self-harm. Understanding the nature, precursors, and consequences of these urges is essential for improving psychological interventions. Methods: Using experience-sampling methodology (ESM), longitudinal data were collected from three young adults with varying frequencies of NSSI during a 14-day period. Participants completed brief questionnaires four times daily, yielding 166 assessments. Dynamic Exploratory Graph Analysis (dynEGA) was applied to construct individual affective networks related to self-harm urges. Results: NSSI urges were primarily predicted by negative affect. However, strong idiosyncratic differences emerged across participants’ affective networks. Due to this heterogeneity, no robust population-level network could be identified. Individuals differed substantially in how specific affects related to urge intensity. Moreover, only in a limited number of cases were urges directly associated with the actual performance of NSSI behavior. Conclusion: The results indicate associations between negative affect, self-harm urges, and behavior. Simultaneously, our results show that this dynamic is much more complex than previously assumed. The findings underscore the importance of individualized analyses in NSSI research. DynEGA proves to be a valuable method for examining person-specific affective network structures and dimensionality in individuals who engage in self-injury.