Exploring the Link Between Sensory Processing and Psychopathology in a Community Sample of Young Adults: Bayesian Network Analyses

This study investigated the associations between sensory processing and psychopathology in a sample of the general population. Participants responded to a ge neral psychiatric screening tool (DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure-Adult) and to the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) questionnaire. The sample comprised 1108 young adults (77.25% females, mean age 22.6). Data were analysed using item response theory and Bayesian network analyses, revealing specific associations between sensory profiles and psychopathological dimensions. Specifically, we detected associations between the low registration sensory profile and the dimensions of psychosis, substance use, and mania. Sensation seeking was associated with mania. Sen sory sensitivity was related to depression and mania, while sensation avoiding was inversely correlated with mania. These findings suggest that reduced external sensory awareness may be linked to a predisposition to psychosis, while a multifaceted sensory processing pattern may indicate vulnerabil ity to mood disorders. Assessing sensory processing could yield crucial insights into individual susceptibilities to mental disorders and help identify targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies
Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Category: Addiction Source Type: research