Is the Missing Piece of the Puzzle Linked to Grief? Exploring Feelings of Grief and Loss in Understanding Resistance to Change for Self-Injury and Eating Disorders [Seed Funding]

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; e.g., cutting, burning, and hitting oneself) and disordered-eating behaviors (DE; e.g., purging, restrictive, and binge eating) commonly co-occur, posing significant mental and physical health challenges. This co-occurrence, being present among +10% of the  population, complicates treatment, often resulting in a perplexing shift: reduction in one behavior corresponds with the escalation of another. Dr. Kiekens and colleagues suggest that feelings of grief and loss associated with giving up these maladaptive coping behaviors may elucidate resistance to change and behavioral shifts.

Therefore, the present study will employ interviews with individuals with lived experience, mental health professionals, and researchers to address the urgent need for a deeper understanding of resistance to change in NSSI-DE behaviors. These interviews will explore the role of grief and loss about these behaviors in resistance to change, with the goal of developing an instrument for assessing grief and loss reactions about NSSI and DE. Additionally, individuals with lived experience of NSSI-ED will evaluate the newly developed assessment tool for comprehensibility, content- and face validity. By shedding light on these dynamics, the study aims to offer a unique perspective on the challenges associated with NSSI-DE behaviors and to pave the way for a more nuanced and tailored approach to intervention strategies for these behaviors.

Team composition

• Dr. Glenn Kiekens (MCP) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology and contributes  expertise about self-injury.  He was named the ‘2022 Rising Star Researcher’ by his peers in the field of self-injury.
• Dr. Janske van Eersel (HRS) is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Human Resource Studies, and one of the few scientists who studies (complicated) grief triggered by job loss or health adversities. She has developed and validated several questionnaires to facilitate further exploration of the underlying mechanisms of distress related to (imminent) job loss and health problems.
• Dr. Bernou Melisse (MCP), is a TiU Lecturer, psychologist, and director of the eating disorder program at ACPN Abu Dhabi. She specializes in the treatment and research of eating disorders. She develops online self-help programs, supervises clinicians, and conducts treatment for patients while also translating diagnostic tools for use in culturally diverse contexts such as Saudi Arabia.