The impact of traumatic childhood experiences on interoception: disregarding one’s own body

Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation

Research

André Schulz¹  Sabine C. Herpertz²  Katja Bertsch³  Marius Schmitz⁴  Katja I. Seitz⁵  Nele K. Harbrecht⁶  Sarah N. Back⁶  Lena Streckert⁶ 

[1] Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Clinical Psychophysiology Laboratory, University of Luxembourg, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg;Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany;Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany;Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany;

关键词: Dissociation;    Stress;    Trauma;    Emotion dysregulation;    Beliefs;    Interoception;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40479-023-00212-5

 received in 2022-09-22, accepted in 2023-02-01,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundDeficient interoception, the processing and perception of internal bodily signals, has been discussed as a mechanism underlying various mental disorders. First results indicate a mediating role of interoception in the interplay of traumatic childhood experiences and adult mental disorders. Traumatic childhood experiences may hinder the adequate processing, integration, and trust in bodily signals that are important in order to understand and regulate own needs and emotions, thereby increasing the vulnerability for mental disorders. However, an overarching study investigating alterations in different interoceptive measures and trauma-related disorders as well as their mediating role between early trauma and emotion dysregulation is still missing.MethodsOne hundred thirty-six individuals with varying levels of traumatic childhood experiences who either had a current diagnosis of major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, or somatic symptom disorder, or no mental disorder, took part in a multidimensional assessment of interoceptive processes, including interoceptive accuracy, sensibility, and awareness. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare groups regarding interoceptive processes and associations with traumatic childhood experiences and emotion dysregulation were analyzed with Spearman correlations. Furthermore, mediation analyses were computed to examine and compare interoceptive processes as potential mediators between traumatic childhood experiences and emotion dysregulation.ResultsOnly body dissociation, a measure for interoceptive sensibility, was significantly reduced in individuals with a current mental disorder. Body dissociation was also the only interoceptive measure significantly associated with traumatic childhood experiences and emotion dysregulation and the only significant mediator in the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences and emotion dysregulation across groups.ConclusionResults suggest body dissociation, but not other interoceptive measures, as an important feature linking traumatic childhood experiences to current emotion dysregulation, an important transdiagnostic feature. As body dissociation refers to a habitual non-attendance or disregard of interoceptive signals, integrative therapeutic interventions could help affected individuals to overcome difficulties in emotion perception and regulation.Trial registrationThe general study design was preregistered; see the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS-ID: DRKS00015182). This study’s analysis plan was not preregistered.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 5

Fig. 3