Do childhood adversity and sensory processing sensitivity interact to predict meaningful activity engagement in adulthood?

INTRODUCTION

A core tenet of occupational therapy is that engagement in meaningful activities is integral for a person's health and wellbeing. Childhood adversity can have lifelong impacts on physical and mental health; however, the effects of childhood experiences are dependent on the presence of susceptibility factors, including sensory processing sensitivity. To date, the effects of childhood adversity and sensory processing sensitivity have not been investigated for meaningful activity engagement. This study seeks to determine whether childhood adversity is related to engagement in meaningful activities in adulthood and whether this relationship is moderated by sensory processing sensitivity.

METHOD

Using convenience snowball sampling, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 328 adults. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires, including the Risky Families Questionnaire, Highly Sensitive Person Scale and Engagement in Meaningful Activities Scale.

RESULTS

Correlational analyses found that childhood adversity was related to significantly less meaningful activity engagement in adulthood, but this relationship was not moderated by sensory processing sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

This study showed, for the first time, that a history of childhood adversity is linked to less engagement in meaningful activities in adulthood. While further research is needed, supporting meaningful activity engagement may be necessary for adults who experienced childhood adversity.