Associations Between Sensory Sensitivity and Psychological and Interpersonal Difficulties in Anxious Youth

Childhood anxiety disorders are prevalent and impair children's socioemotional functioning. Abnormalities in sensory processing may play a role in the presentation of anxiety disorders. One important domain of sensory processing is sensory sensitivity, referring to heightened or diminished responses to sensory stimuli. While anxiety and sensory sensitivity frequently co-occur, research thus far has primarily focused on associations among autistic children, with limited investigation in anxious children. This study examined the associations between sensory sensitivity and anxiety symptom severity, externalizing problems, emotion dysregulation, and quality of peer and family relationships in children with elevated anxiety symptoms without neurodevelopmental disorders.

Ninety-four children aged 8 to 17 years (mean age=12.41, SD=2.55 y) with elevated anxiety symptoms but without neurodevelopmental disorders completed self-report assessments of sensory sensitivity, anxiety symptom severity, externalizing behaviors, emotion dysregulation, and quality of peer and family relationships. Participants' parents completed a parent-report assessment of children's externalizing behaviors.

Sensory sensitivity and anxiety symptom severity were not statistically significantly associated. Controlling for anxiety symptom severity and relevant sociodemographic covariates, sensory sensitivity explained a statistically significant amount of variance in youth-reported (but not parent-reported) externalizing symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and quality of family but not peer relationships.

Anxious youth with sensory sensitivity may experience externalizing symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and difficulties with family relationships. Study limitations included a racially/ethnically homogeneous sample and a cross-sectional design. Further research is necessary to better understand the causal impact of sensory sensitivity on behavioral difficulties and quality of life, identify potential protective factors, and test intervention strategies for this population.