Overview

CPD on the go® eLearning activities provide an opportunity to learn about diverse topics in short, flexible sessions that you can peruse at your own pace, wherever you are.

Self-harm among young people is a significant clinical and public-health concern, with emotional distress and difficulties regulating affect commonly identified as important contributors. Although social and psychological factors have received substantial attention, the biological processes associated with self-harm, and particularly the transition from thoughts of self-harm to acts of self-harm, are less well understood. Electrodermal activity (EDA), a non-invasive measure of sympathetic nervous-system arousal, offers one potential way to examine physiological responses associated with emotional processing and stress.  

The article examines whether EDA differentiates young people aged 16–25 years with no history of self-harm, a history of self-harm thoughts without enactment, and recent self-harm enactment. Participants completed baseline EDA measurement, an auditory-tone habituation task, a psychosocial stress task, and an emotional-images task. Participants in the self-harm enactment group showed heightened electrodermal responding on two measures: slower habituation to auditory tones and higher skin conductance levels during psychosocial stress. High non-response during the emotional-images task limited analysis of those data.  

Overall, the findings suggest that heightened physiological arousal may be a potential biomarker relevant to understanding the transition from self-harm ideation to enactment, while underscoring the complexity of self-harm and the need for further research. 

This activity contains a current evidence-based article followed by 10 questions to consolidate your learning. Together, a pass mark of 80% and completion of a reflection represents active* continuing professional development (CPD).  

Level of Learning

Foundational. This activity is targeted to those new to the topic.

Target audience

This activity is suitable for: psychologists, social workers, general practitioners, occupational therapists, nurses, and allied health practitioners.

APS CPD-Approved

This eLearning activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality. Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process.

CPD Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to the APS CPD Frequently Asked Questions for general and technical information when undertaking APS Professional development activities.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this CPD on the go®  eLearning activity, participants should be able to: 

• explain how emotion processing and autonomic arousal may relate to self-harm among young people, including the contribution of Electrodermal activity as an indicator of physiological responding,

• interpret findings from psychophysiological research to develop a more nuanced, non-stigmatising understanding of the emotional processes associated with self-harm,

• apply research evidence on emotion processing to inform psychologically safe assessment, formulation, support, intervention, or research involving young people who self-harm, and

• critically evaluate the strengths, limitations, and professional implications of using physiological measures to understand self-harm, including the need to integrate such evidence with young people’s lived experience, clinical presentation, and broader psychosocial context. 

Notes