PTSD symptoms and self-injury behaviors among Iranian soldiers: the mediator roles of rumination and social support

In the last decade, a large volume of research has highlighted the importance of identifying risk and protective factors of self-injury behaviors in military installations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fitness of the functional PTSD-based model of self-injury behaviors among soldiers residing in Iran military installations. Four hundred man soldiers residing in Tehran military installations that committed self-injury behaviors completed Self-Harm Inventory (SHI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), PTSD Checklist (PCL), and Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). Correlation analyses showed positive associations between PTSD symptoms, rumination, and self-injury. A negative correlation was found between social support and self-injury (p < 0.0005). Path analysis revealed that PTSD symptoms were positive predictors of self-injury and had direct and indirect effects on these behaviors, mediated by increased rumination and decreased social support (p < 0.05). The results of this study revealed that rumination and social support in the relationship between PTSD symptoms and self-injury have a mediating role, so in order to prevent and treat self-harm behaviors, interventions that decrease rumination and increase perceived social support of soldiers are recommended.