In the nuanced field of psychiatric research, a groundbreaking study recently published in Translational Psychiatry has unveiled critical insights into the sensory experiences of female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). The study, led by Zetterqvist, M., Olofsson, M., and Olausson, H., explores the altered perception of affective touch — a specialized form of tactile interaction that profoundly influences emotional regulation. This research could signal a paradigmatic shift in understanding sensory processing abnormalities associated with self-injurious behaviors that have long challenged clinicians and scientists alike.
Nonsuicidal self-injury, defined as the deliberate infliction of harm upon oneself without suicidal intent, is a significant public health concern affecting adolescent populations globally. Traditionally, investigations into NSSI have focused on psychological and emotional drivers such as trauma, mood dysregulation, or interpersonal conflicts. However, the intricate role of sensory processing, particularly affective touch perception, in these individuals has remained largely uncharted territory until now.
Affective touch is mediated by a distinct class of slowly conducting C-tactile afferents (CT afferents) that respond optimally to gentle, stroking touches, typically perceived as pleasant and soothing. Unlike discriminative touch, which conveys information about texture, pressure, or vibration, affective touch is intricately tied to emotional and social bonding. It recruits specialized neural pathways projecting to the insular cortex, a brain region integral to interoceptive awareness and emotional experience. Understanding how this system functions or malfunctions may provide vital clues to the altered emotional landscapes in NSSI.
The transdiagnostic approach adopted by the researchers is particularly innovative, as it transcends traditional diagnostic boundaries to focus on common mechanistic features shared across different psychiatric presentations. This design allowed the inclusion of female adolescents exhibiting diverse clinical profiles, magnifying the relevance and applicability of the findings beyond narrowly defined categories. The choice to focus on females stems from statistically higher rates of NSSI behaviors in adolescent girls, who often present with complex comorbidities challenging treatment outcomes.
Employing psychophysical assessment methods, the team meticulously evaluated participants’ responses to carefully controlled affective touch stimuli. Participants were exposed to tactile stimulations at velocities known to optimally activate CT afferents, allowing researchers to gauge subjective pleasantness ratings and physiological correlates. These methods enabled a detailed dissection of the sensory-affective interface that is rarely achieved in clinical populations, especially within the highly sensitive context of self-injury.
Results revealed a striking pattern of diminished pleasantness ratings in response to affective touch among adolescents with NSSI, indicating a blunted or altered perception of emotionally significant tactile stimuli. This sensory dampening may reflect underlying neural dysregulation within the afferent-insular pathway, potentially contributing to emotional numbing and difficulties in affect regulation observed clinically. The findings illuminate the sensory underpinnings that could perpetuate self-injurious behaviors as maladaptive attempts to modulate internal states.
Furthermore, the altered touch perception aligns with growing evidence implicating somatosensory processing irregularities in various psychiatric conditions, including borderline personality disorder and depression, which frequently co-occur with NSSI. By highlighting tactile perception deficits, the study bridges gaps between sensory neuroscience and psychopathology, proposing novel mechanisms that transcend simple behavioral explanations and suggest deeper neurobiological roots.
The implications extend into therapeutic realms, suggesting that interventions enhancing affective touch experiences — such as massage therapy, mindfulness that incorporates tactile awareness, or even somatosensory-targeted neurostimulation — could serve as adjunctive treatments. Such strategies might help recalibrate aberrant touch processing circuits, fostering improved emotional resilience and reduced reliance on self-injury as a coping tool.
Interestingly, this study prompts a reevaluation of social and environmental factors shaping tactile experiences in vulnerable youths. Given the role of affective touch in early attachment and ongoing social bonding, deficits in this domain may exacerbate interpersonal difficulties, creating a feedback loop that intensifies psychological distress. This highlights the necessity of integrating sensory dimensions into holistic models of adolescent mental health.
Technically, the team utilized state-of-the-art neurophysiological techniques to complement psychophysical data, including skin conductance measurements and heart rate variability, providing objective markers of autonomic arousal linked to affective touch. This multimodal approach reinforces the reliability of findings and opens avenues for biomarker development to identify individuals at risk or monitor treatment response.
While the study’s strength lies in its rigorous methodology and novel focus, limitations include the exclusive inclusion of female participants and cross-sectional design, which constrain generalizability and preclude causal inferences. Longitudinal studies tracking developmental trajectories of tactile perception and self-injury could provide deeper mechanistic insights and inform early intervention strategies.
Overall, the revelation that affective touch perception is altered in adolescents engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury redefines the sensory landscape of psychiatric disorders. It challenges researchers and clinicians to consider beyond canonical emotional dysregulation models towards integrated, embodied frameworks appreciating how fundamental sensory experiences shape mental health trajectories.
This pioneering work not only enriches scientific understanding but also resonates societally, underscoring the profound interconnection between touch, emotion, and well-being. As digitalization and social isolation increasingly erode physical contact among youth, recognizing and addressing sensory deficits may become pivotal in mitigating emergent mental health crises.
In summary, the study led by Zetterqvist and colleagues marks a significant milestone by elucidating how atypical affective touch perception in female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury contributes to their emotional suffering and behavioral manifestations. It paves the way for novel diagnostic and therapeutic avenues that harness the power of sensory-affective integration to foster healing in this vulnerable population.
In the evolving narrative of mental health research, these findings resonate profoundly, illustrating the subtle yet powerful ways in which the sense of touch we often take for granted profoundly impacts our emotional lives. As science continues to decode the multisensory architecture of the human brain, studies like this extend a promising beacon of hope for those caught in the turmoil of self-injury and emotional pain.
The emerging recognition of affective touch as a cornerstone of emotional regulation invites broader interdisciplinary collaboration encompassing neurobiology, psychology, pediatrics, and social sciences. Such concerted efforts will be indispensable to translating these insights into practical, impactful interventions targeting the lived experiences of adolescents grappling with self-injurious behaviors.
Ultimately, this research exemplifies the potential of cutting-edge neuroscience to unravel complex psychopathologies and inspire innovative care pathways. By illuminating how a fundamental sensory modality can be disrupted in mental illness, it calls on the scientific and medical communities to listen more closely—to touch, to feel, and to heal.
Subject of Research: Altered affective touch perception in female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury
Article Title: Can you feel it? Altered affective touch perception in a transdiagnostic sample of female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury
Article References:
Zetterqvist, M., Olofsson, M., Olausson, H. et al. Can you feel it? Altered affective touch perception in a transdiagnostic sample of female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury. Transl Psychiatry (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03759-9
Image Credits: AI Generated
