The Relationship Between Environmental Sensitivity and Common Mental-Health Problems in Adolescents and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Environmental sensitivity is a personality trait reflecting individual differences in response to environmental influences. Although the link between common personality traits and psychopathology is well established, trait sensitivity is often overlooked despite its association with mental health. In this study, we systematically reviewed literature on sensitivity and mental-health outcomes and conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the relationship of sensitivity with depression and anxiety. The review included 33 studies (N = 12,697; 62.51% female; age: M = 25.35 years) and revealed positive correlations between sensitivity and depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, and social phobia; correlations ranged from r = .05 to r = .65. The overall effect size was substantial for depression (r = .36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [.30, .42], p < .001) and anxiety (r = .39, 95% CI = [.34, .44], p < .001). Findings confirm a robust association with mental health, and we explore its potential to inform treatment and prevention.