Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether specific forms of childhood trauma predict self-harm behavior and to investigate the mediating effects of their parental conflict between childhood trauma and self-harm behavior in patients with eating disorders. Methods: Patients (n=128) who visited 'M' clinic for eating disorders participated in the study. Data was collected from April to September 2007 using the childhood trauma questionnaire, modified conflict tactics scale and self-harm Inventory. Results: The subjects showed high scores on childhood trauma and self-harm, and 98.4% of all participants self-reported experiencing at least one type of trauma. There were significant correlations between all types of childhood trauma, parental conflict and self-harm behavior. Emotional abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse were found to be significant predictors of self-harm behavior. We also found that parental conflict partially mediated the association between some forms of childhood trauma and self-harm behavior. Conclusion: Future interventions for patients with eating disorders should focus on assessing the possibility of childhood trauma and self-harm behaviors, and on interventions for trauma such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Couple therapy for the parents might contribute to preventing self-harm and suicide in patients with eating disorders.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether specific forms of childhood trauma predict self-harm behavior and to investigate the mediating effects of their parental conflict between childhood trauma and self-harm behavior in patients with eating disorders. Methods: Patients (n=128) who visited 'M' clinic for eating disorders participated in the study. Data was collected from April to September 2007 using the childhood trauma questionnaire, modified conflict tactics scale and self-harm Inventory. Results: The subjects showed high scores on childhood trauma and self-harm, and 98.4% of all participants self-reported experiencing at least one type of trauma. There were significant correlations between all types of childhood trauma, parental conflict and self-harm behavior. Emotional abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse were found to be significant predictors of self-harm behavior. We also found that parental conflict partially mediated the association between some forms of childhood trauma and self-harm behavior. Conclusion: Future interventions for patients with eating disorders should focus on assessing the possibility of childhood trauma and self-harm behaviors, and on interventions for trauma such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Couple therapy for the parents might contribute to preventing self-harm and suicide in patients with eating disorders.

Eating disorders, Childhood trauma, Self-harm, Parental conflict