The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

The Neurobiology of Self-Injury (in Layman's Terms), with Dr. Michael Kaess


Listen Later

What goes on at the neurobiological level that makes someone more vulnerable to self-injure or self-harm? What biological risk factors are at play? What roles do the vagus nerve, cortisol levels, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have? We hope to discuss the psychology of self-injury pain in a future episode, but in this episode, Dr. Michael Kaess from the University of Bern in Switzerland explains the neurobiology of self-injury in simple terms, or what we hope can be considered simple layman's terms. 

Learn more about Dr. Kaess and his research team at the Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste (UPD) in Bern here. To participate in Dr. Kaess' research study of an online intervention for self-injury (in German), visit the STAR (Self-injury Treatment Assessment Recovery) Project at https://star-projekt.de/.

Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode:

  1. Kaess, M., Hooley, J. M., Klimes-Dougan, B., Koenig, J., Plener, P. L., Reichl, C., Robinson, K., Schmahl, C., Sicorello, M., Schreiner, M. W., & Cullen, K. R. (2021). Advancing a temporal framework for understanding the biology of nonsuicidal self-injury: An expert review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 228-239.
  2. Reichl, C., Heyer, A., Brunner, R., Parzer, P., Völker, J. M., Resch, R., & Kaess, M. (2016). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, childhood adversity and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 74, 203-211.
  3. Plener, P. L., Bubalo, N., Fladung, A. K., Ludolph, A. G., & Lulé, D. (2012). Prone to excitement: Adolescent females with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) show altered cortical pattern to emotional and NSS-related material. Psychiatry Research, 203(2-3), 146-152.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental HealthBy Nicholas J. Westers Psy.D. ABPP

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

65 ratings


More shows like The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

View all
Background Briefing by ABC listen

Background Briefing

68 Listeners

All In The Mind by ABC listen

All In The Mind

756 Listeners

Sex With Emily by Dr. Emily Morse

Sex With Emily

6,776 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,920 Listeners

This Is Actually Happening by Wondery

This Is Actually Happening

10,388 Listeners

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

171,557 Listeners

Your Anxiety Toolkit - Practical Skills for Anxiety, Panic & Depression by Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT | Anxiety & OCD Specialist

Your Anxiety Toolkit - Practical Skills for Anxiety, Panic & Depression

806 Listeners

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

2,467 Listeners

Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes

Counselor Toolbox Podcast with DocSnipes

617 Listeners

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard by Armchair Umbrella

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

69,053 Listeners

Ask Kati Anything by Kati Morton, LMFT

Ask Kati Anything

395 Listeners

SmartLess by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett

SmartLess

57,990 Listeners

We're All Insane by Devorah Roloff

We're All Insane

714 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,541 Listeners

Good Hang with Amy Poehler by The Ringer

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

7,419 Listeners