Isolating unique variance in mental health outcomes attributable to personality variables and childhood emotional abuse.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

University students are at high risk for anxiety and depression. Our main objective was to tease apart variance in symptom severity that was uniquely attributable to four associated variables that are frequently confounded: exposure to childhood emotional abuse, alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), and anxiety sensitivity (AS).

Methods

University students (N = 410) completed an online survey designed to measure our four key study variables along with several other potentially relevant variables including sex, physical activity levels, and perceived COVID-19 impacts.

Results

Over half of the participants reported moderate to extremely severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Females reported stronger signs of SPS and AS and were more

SUBMITTER: Van Landeghem C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10838979 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature