The Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Depression and Somatization and the Roles of Emotion Regulation and Adverse Childhood Experiences
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2022
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Abstract
Sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) refers to personality trait that distinguishes the extent to which individuals strongly and deeply process stimuli in the environment. While being highly sensitive has been linked to increased psychopathological tendencies, the reasons for this are not well researched. One potential mediator that could explain the relationship between SPS and psychopathologies is emotion regulation—the set of processes influencing which emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience and express them. This study therefore aimed to investigate whether sensory processing sensitivity is linked, specifically, to depression and somatization via emotion regulation difficulties. In addition, highly sensitive persons who have experienced childhood adversities have been shown to have more depressive and somatic tendencies than non-highly sensitive persons. Therefore, this study also aimed to investigate whether adverse childhood experiences moderated the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and depression and somatization. This quantitative study followed a correlational design and the survey was administered through a questionnaire to a convenience sample of 94 adults. A total of five online questionnaires were used: The Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) developed by Aron and Aron (1997) to measure SPS, the Beck-Depression Inventory (BDI-II) developed by Beck et al. (1996) to measure depression, the Cohen–Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS) developed by Cohen and Hoberman (1983) to measure somatization, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) initially developed by Gratz and Roemer, L. (2004) to measure difficulties in ER and the adverse childhood experiences, the Adverse Childhood Experien¬¬ce (ACE) Scale developed by Felitti et al. (1998) to measure ACE. The results showed that difficulties in emotion regulation predicted depression and somatization, rather than mediated the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and depression and somatization. Adverse childhood experiences did not have any moderating effect on this relationship. Future research should include larger samples to understand more accurately the relationship between all these variables.
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Corban, R. (2022). The Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Depression and Somatization and the Roles of Emotion Regulation and Adverse Childhood Experiences (SBS thesis, Haigazian University)