A Comparative Study of Attachment Style, Psychological Toughness and Moral Perfectionism in two groups of Girls with and Without Self-Injury Behaviors

Systematic review of related studies indicates that various factors affect the explanation of self-injury individuals and self-injury behaviors have become common. So, it is important to investigate the constructs related to self-injury behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to model a structural equation to explain non-suicidal self-injury behaviors based on moral perfectionism and traumatic experiences with the mediating role of psychological hardiness and attachment style. The design of the present study was applied and correlational research by structural equation modelling. Among undergraduate and graduate students of Tehran universities, 529 people (411 girls and 118 boys) were selected by convenience sampling method. They all completed questionnaires on self-harm, moral perfectionism, traumatic experiences, attachment style, and psychological hardiness. Pearson correlation and structural equation modelling using SPSSV19 and AMOSV20 software were used to analyze the data. The results showed that all four variables of moral perfectionism, traumatic experiences, psychological hardiness and attachment style had a direct and significant effect on self-injury behaviors. Also, the two variables of moral perfectionism and traumatic experiences have had indirect and significant effects on self-injury behaviors due to the variables of psychological hardiness and attachment style. In addition, moral perfectionism and traumatic experiences had a direct and significant effect on psychological hardiness and attachment style (p <0.01). Finally, the results of this study show that because each person's personality is affected by his family environment and also individual differences are affected by attachment style, on the other hand, psychological hardiness as a personality trait and moral perfectionism as moral virtues. Valuable causes people to resist psychological pressures, including self-injury, and as a result, can guarantee the health of body and soul. Therefore, psychologists, counsellors and other professionals can use this model to improve self-injury behaviors.