You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Having trouble viewing in Internet Explorer 11? We're working on this. For the best user experience please try using a different web browser.

Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to menu
HomeResearch & InnovationResearch ProgrammesDesign for Health and WellbeingAmbulatory heart rate variability monitoring, distress, and self-harm in university students
Search
Menu
  • Study
    • Back
    • Study with us
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Online study
    • International students
    • Research degrees

    Virtual Open Day

    Sat 15 May 202110:00 - 17:30

    Our virtual Open Days give you and your family and friends a chance to experience Falmouth from...

    Student Funding

    We offer a range of financial support to try and ensure that all students can succeed and fulfil their potential during their studies.

  • Apply
    • Back
    • How to apply
    • Student funding
    • Accommodation

    Preparing for Your Interview

    What's an interview like and how can you prepare? Read our advice and tips and search for course information here.

    Application Toolkit

    Our Application Toolkit holds lots of advice and information about applying to Falmouth University.

  • Experience Falmouth
    • Back
    • Open Days & events
    • Student life
    • Student Voice
    • News & stories
    • About us

    Virtual Open Day

    Sat 15 May 202110:00 - 17:30

    Our virtual Open Days give you and your family and friends a chance to experience Falmouth from...

    Ask a Student

    Our students are here to tell you all about life at Falmouth. From settling in and studying to making friends and making memories.

  • Research & Innovation
    • Back
    • Discover R & I
    • Our projects
    • Research with us

    How to Apply for a Research Degree

    Whether you’re applying for a MPhil or PhD research degree, find out about the key stages of the application process.

    Launchpad (with MSc Entrepreneurship)

    Drive the development of a high-growth tech start-up, supported by a stipend. Alongside this, you’ll benefit from business guidance, mentoring and...

  • Business collaboration
    • Back
    • Working with industry
    • Launchpad Outreach
    • Academic partnerships

    Launchpad Outreach

    Discover Launchpad Outreach, our fully funded business support programme.

    Working with Industry

    Business support, industry collaborations and impactful innovation. Find out more about how we work with businesses.

  • Support
    • Back
    • Student & staff portal
    • Student support
    • Find us
    • Contact us

    Term Dates

    Find out all the key dates and study blocks for undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees.

    Accommodation

    Explore all our on and off-campus accommodation options and discover modern, well-equipped spaces designed to fit a range of budgets.

Prospectus

Explore our future-focused undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses by viewing our prospectuses.

Virtual Open Day

Sat 15 May 202110:00 - 17:30

Our virtual Open Days give you and your family and friends a chance to experience Falmouth from...

Coronavirus Information

Find out how we're keeping our community safe, and how you can help.

Ambulatory heart rate variability

Ambulatory heart rate variability monitoring, distress, and self-harm in university students. This project involved ten students and investigated the feasibility of wearing a heart rate monitor for 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for monitoring the parasympathetic nervous system.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust logo
  • Project details
  • Project team
  • Partners
  • Funders
  • Outcomes & outputs
  • Impact & recognition

    Project details

    Project leadAnna Mankee-Williams
    Start dateSummer 2019
    End dateSummer 2019
    Programme alignmentDesign for Health and Wellbeing

    Anna Mankee-Willimas' investigations into new care-models seek to help communities live, learn and create together, tackling social disintegration and reducing the burden of social care costs on stretched local council budgets

    By linking creative thinkers, designers and academics with technology, health and industry professionals, these projects aim to enable positive, lasting change.

    Over a lifetime approximately 5% of people will self-harm. As a society, we do not fully understand why people do it, and reasons vary, but in many it provides temporary relief from distress. The team behind this project would ultimately like to understand whether self-harm has its effects by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system in some people.

    This project aims to investigate the feasibility of wearing a heart rate monitor for 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for monitoring the parasympathetic nervous system by using an ambulatory heart monitor to measure heart rate variability (HRV). The project also investigated the feasibility of using a diary app to record distress levels to see how distress correlates with HRV. A further aim was to understand whether the diary app and monitor are used even in situations of distress.

    Project team

    Anna Mankee-Williams staff image

    Anna Mankee-Williams - Project lead


    Anna is a Senior Research Fellow for Innovation and Technology in Health and Care. She has 22 years' experience in the health sector (RGN, RM, RHV,) Specialist Community Practitioner/Practice Educator, Public Health children's lead and 11 years' experience in Local Government. Anna has been with Falmouth University and the South West Centre of Excellence Satellite Applications Catapult for since 2016. Her research focuses on Design Thinking approaches that address challenges presented within the health and care eco-system.

      

    Partners

    This project has partnered and collaborated with the following organisations:

    • Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
    • University of Exeter Medical School, Truro
    • Falmouth University
    • Brighton and Sussex Medical School
    • Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
    • Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
    • Sapienza University of Rome

    Funders

    The project was funded by Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust and involved 10 students during the summer of 2019.

    Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

    Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of mental health and physical health services to children and adults across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

    Outcomes & outputs

    The project team worked with 10 students who wore a heart rate monitor for 24 hours a day / 7 days a week to measure heart rate variability (HRV). Early findings are currently being analysed.

    Impact & recognition

    The study found that monitoring ambulatory heart rate and using a diary app for mood capture for up to a week is possible. However, the degree of skin irritation experienced by participants poses a barrier to an extended study using chest electrodes. Further work indicated by the study includes; developing a more suitable method of heart rate monitoring; calculating the duration of monitoring and; calculating the number of participants required to test the hypothesis of a link between HRV and NSSI.

    The potential impact will benefit all people who experience NSSI and the clinicians who support them. The ongoing studies have the potential to surface ground breaking new insight into NSSI and the treatment of it. This study is a pilot study that is informing all the elements that need to be considered in a formal large scale study.

    A research paper for publication is currently being peer reviewed by the BMJ.

    EmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInMessenger
    • Courses
    • Departments
    • Staff
    • Academic partnerships
    • Jobs
    • Corporate information
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Contact
    • Find us
    • Events
    • Staff & Student Portal
    • Falmouth Campus
      Woodlane, Falmouth
      Cornwall TR11 4RH
      01326 211077
    • Penryn Campus
      Treliever Road, Penryn
      Cornwall TR10 9FE
      01326 370400
    © Falmouth University 2021
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Data Privacy
    • Copyright
    • Terms of Use
    • Cookie Policy
    • Student Regulations

    TEF Gold Logo