Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility
Environment may play a role in how the evolutionarily conserved personality trait sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) relates to health. Nevertheless, there has been no comprehensive investigation of the relationships between SPS and mental and somatic health outcomes in a large sample, while accou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Current Research in Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666518224000196 |
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| author | Christienne G. Damatac Marleen J. ter Avest Tom F. Wilderjans Véronique De Gucht Dion H.A. Woestenburg Laurens Landeweerd Tessel E. Galesloot Linda Geerligs Judith R. Homberg Corina U. Greven |
| author_facet | Christienne G. Damatac Marleen J. ter Avest Tom F. Wilderjans Véronique De Gucht Dion H.A. Woestenburg Laurens Landeweerd Tessel E. Galesloot Linda Geerligs Judith R. Homberg Corina U. Greven |
| author_sort | Christienne G. Damatac |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Environment may play a role in how the evolutionarily conserved personality trait sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) relates to health. Nevertheless, there has been no comprehensive investigation of the relationships between SPS and mental and somatic health outcomes in a large sample, while accounting for neuroticism and environmental variables. To better understand susceptibility to positive and negative environments, we systematically investigated associations between SPS and several health-related outcomes: stress-related traits, neurodevelopmental (ADHD and autistic) traits, well-being, and somatic health in 252 adults (ages 30–39 years) from a population-based sample. We then evaluated how environmental factors modify those relationships by testing SPS interactions with lifetime or current measures of positive or negative environments. Finally, we formally tested whether SPS is a factor for differential susceptibility. Notably, we found that higher SPS related to more burnout, anxiety, depression, stress, health complaints, and nonprescription medication use but not to total neurodevelopmental traits. Even after controlling for neuroticism, burnout, anxiety, and health complaints associations with SPS remained significant. We also found small to modest associations between SPS subscales and neurodevelopmental trait subscales. Of note, in unfavorable environments (threatening life events), higher SPS related to more autistic traits. In favorable environments (social support), SPS related to more life satisfaction, supporting the theory of SPS as a factor for differential susceptibility to environments. This study illustrates that SPS may be a risk factor for stress-related and somatic symptoms, independent of neuroticism. We conclude that SPS may moderate sensitivity to environments, possibly as an adaptation factor, enabling highly sensitive individuals to be more malleable to environmental influences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-30ead799d3e946f8a5d050b5fc3c24de |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5182 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-30ead799d3e946f8a5d050b5fc3c24de2025-01-11T06:42:02ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Behavioral Sciences2666-51822025-01-018100165Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibilityChristienne G. Damatac0Marleen J. ter Avest1Tom F. Wilderjans2Véronique De Gucht3Dion H.A. Woestenburg4Laurens Landeweerd5Tessel E. Galesloot6Linda Geerligs7Judith R. Homberg8Corina U. Greven9Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsMethodology and Statistics Research Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, 2311, EZ, Leiden, the NetherlandsResearch Group of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, 2311, EZ, Leiden, the NetherlandsMethodology and Statistics Research Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, 2311, EZ, Leiden, the NetherlandsInstitute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 5, 6525, ED, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsDepartment of IQ Health, Radboud University Medical Center, Post 133, P.O. Box 9101, 6500, HB, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsDepartment of Artificial Intelligence, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, Postbus 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsDonders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525, EN, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Reinier Postlaan 12, 6525, GC, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsEnvironment may play a role in how the evolutionarily conserved personality trait sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) relates to health. Nevertheless, there has been no comprehensive investigation of the relationships between SPS and mental and somatic health outcomes in a large sample, while accounting for neuroticism and environmental variables. To better understand susceptibility to positive and negative environments, we systematically investigated associations between SPS and several health-related outcomes: stress-related traits, neurodevelopmental (ADHD and autistic) traits, well-being, and somatic health in 252 adults (ages 30–39 years) from a population-based sample. We then evaluated how environmental factors modify those relationships by testing SPS interactions with lifetime or current measures of positive or negative environments. Finally, we formally tested whether SPS is a factor for differential susceptibility. Notably, we found that higher SPS related to more burnout, anxiety, depression, stress, health complaints, and nonprescription medication use but not to total neurodevelopmental traits. Even after controlling for neuroticism, burnout, anxiety, and health complaints associations with SPS remained significant. We also found small to modest associations between SPS subscales and neurodevelopmental trait subscales. Of note, in unfavorable environments (threatening life events), higher SPS related to more autistic traits. In favorable environments (social support), SPS related to more life satisfaction, supporting the theory of SPS as a factor for differential susceptibility to environments. This study illustrates that SPS may be a risk factor for stress-related and somatic symptoms, independent of neuroticism. We conclude that SPS may moderate sensitivity to environments, possibly as an adaptation factor, enabling highly sensitive individuals to be more malleable to environmental influences.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666518224000196Sensory processing sensitivityEnvironmental sensitivityDifferential susceptibilityMental healthPhysical health |
| spellingShingle | Christienne G. Damatac Marleen J. ter Avest Tom F. Wilderjans Véronique De Gucht Dion H.A. Woestenburg Laurens Landeweerd Tessel E. Galesloot Linda Geerligs Judith R. Homberg Corina U. Greven Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility Current Research in Behavioral Sciences Sensory processing sensitivity Environmental sensitivity Differential susceptibility Mental health Physical health |
| title | Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| title_full | Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| title_fullStr | Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| title_short | Exploring sensory processing sensitivity: Relationships with mental and somatic health, interactions with positive and negative environments, and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| title_sort | exploring sensory processing sensitivity relationships with mental and somatic health interactions with positive and negative environments and evidence for differential susceptibility |
| topic | Sensory processing sensitivity Environmental sensitivity Differential susceptibility Mental health Physical health |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666518224000196 |
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