A meta-analytic review of child maltreatment and interoception
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Interoception—the ability to sense internal bodily signals such as heartbeat or breathing—plays a central role in both mental and physical health. Disruptions in interoception are increasingly recognized as important contributors to various psychological and medical conditions, yet the origins remain unclear. One possible risk factor is exposure to childhood maltreatment. Here we present a meta-analytic review examining the association between child maltreatment and different aspects of interoception. In this Analysis, we use meta-analytic methods to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and interoception across 17 studies. We found no consistent association between childhood maltreatment and interoceptive accuracy, sensibility, or awareness. However, a history of childhood maltreatment—particularly emotional maltreatment—was associated with lower body trust, a dimension of interoception reflecting confidence in bodily signals. These findings suggest that early adverse experiences may undermine the foundational sense of trust in one’s body, with potential long-term consequences for mental and physical health.
Details
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 821-837 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Nature Mental Health |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0002-7472-674X/work/188439356 |
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| ORCID | /0000-0002-7278-5711/work/188439493 |