prediction of self-destruction based on depression symptom, internalized self-criticism, shame and guilt, and differences between men and women

abstract introduction: psychological theories and literature have confirmed self-destructiveness patterns in human beings. chronic self-destructiveness has been defined as a tendency to behaviors that increase negative consequences and decrease potential success in the future. the aim of this study was to investigate prediction of chronic self-destructiveness based on the depression symptoms, internalized self-criticism, shame and guilt, and sex differences in this area. method: hundred and six under-graduate students (59 women and 47 men) of tehran university responded to questionnaires, in convenience sampling. the chronic self-destructiveness scale (csds), personal feeling questionnaire (pfq), levels of self-criticism scale (lscs) and beck depression inventory-ii (bdi-ii) were used. data analysis was performed using pearson correlation coefficients and standard multiple regression. results: data showed that depression could predict self-destructiveness in both sex. according to expect, after adding internalized self-criticism in the next step, the role of depression decreased in predicting of self-destructiveness, but internalized self-destructiveness could predict self-destructiveness beyond the depression, only in men. in the next step, after adding guilt and shame subscales in the equation, guilt could predict self-destructiveness, beyond other variables in women, and in men, internalized self-criticism could predict self-destructiveness better than other variables. conclusion: our findings affirmed that self-destructiveness could be predicted by depression, internalized self-criticism and guilt. internalized self-criticism and guilt could predict self-destructiveness, beyond other variables, in men and women respectively.