engleski

Early family experiences and wellbeing in adulthood: Investigating the role of sensory processing sensitivity and adult attachment

Early experiences have been known to produce long-term effects on mental health and personal wellbeing. Some of the most important early experiences are growing up in a family environment and the relationships that an individual forms with his or her parents, which have an influence on later close relationships. Furthermore, mental health and wellbeing are influenced by individual characteristics, such as temperament. Recently there has been an increased interest in the research of a temperamental trait of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), which is conceptualized as being highly susceptible to a variety of stimuli in our environment and easily overwhelmed by subtle stimuli, negative and positive. It has been found to have a three- component structure which consists of Ease of Excitation (EOE), Low Sensory Threshold (LST) and Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES). Recent research has shown that individuals who score high on SPS are more vulnerable to negative early experiences, but they can also profit more from positive experiences, such as social support in a close relationship. In line with this, our goal was to examine if the relationship between early risky family experiences and an individual’s wellbeing is mediated by the level of anxiety and avoidance one perceives in a current close relationship, and if SPS moderated this relationship. A total of 348 university students (54 male, 294 female, age M = 21.57, SD = 2.91) completed an online questionnaire which included The Highly Sensitive Person Scale, The Risky Families Questionnaire (RFQ), modified Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory and Personal Wellbeing Index. The results showed that both the perceived anxiety and avoidance in a current close relationship and an individual’s wellbeing can be predicted by RFQ, EOE and AES, but not LST. While higher EOE predicted higher levels of anxiety and avoidance in a current relationship and lower wellbeing, AES predicted lower relationship anxiety and avoidance and higher wellbeing. As the perceived quality of a current close relationship did not predict an individual’s wellbeing, the hypothesis regarding mediation was not confirmed. Finally, negative early experience predicted higher anxiety and avoidance in adult relationship and lower wellbeing regardless of the individual’s SPS level, indicating that sensory processing sensitivity does not represent a risk factor in this relationship.

early family experiences; sensory processing sensitivity; adult attachment; wellbeing

nije evidentirano