Pilot Study on the Acceptability of Auricular Vagus Nerve Neurostimulation in Adolescents

This study is exploring a way to help teenagers who intentionally hurt themselves, a behaviour known as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This can be a very challenging issue, and unfortunately, it's been on the rise, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding enough help from mental health professionals can be difficult, and current medications don't always have strong evidence for helping with NSSI.

This research is looking at a gentle, non-invasive treatment called transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, or taVNS. It involves placing a small device on the ear that sends very mild electrical signals to a nerve called the vagus nerve. This nerve plays a big role in how our body manages stress, pain, and emotions. The idea is that stimulating this nerve might help rebalance some of the body's natural systems that can become out of whack in people who self-harm. For example, some people who self-harm have lower levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, and this stimulation might help the body produce more of it.

The main purpose of this study, however, is not to prove that taVNS stops self-harm. Instead, it's a 'pilot study', which means it's an initial, smaller step. The study wants to find out if this treatment, which can be done at home, is something that teenagers with NSSI find acceptable and whether they are likely to use it regularly. If young people find it easy to use and stick with the treatment, it could pave the way for larger studies in the future to see if it truly helps reduce self-harm.