Psychological Factors Associated with Sensory Processing Sensitivity in Caregivers: A Systematic Review

Individuals working in care-giving environments are more susceptible to experiencing poor mental health than other workers. Interest has grown in recent years on psychological factors increasing vulnerability and resilience in those engaged in professional or informal caring roles. Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a trait that has been shown to be a marker of differential susceptibility to positive and negative environments, with the latter engendering negative psychological outcomes. While there is a growing interest in personality within caregiving environments, the extant literature on the impact of SPS in caring roles has yet to be synthesised. After systematically searching nine academic databases and reviewing 1,866 records for inclusion eligibility, six studies were identified as eligible for inclusion in the current systematic review. SPS was positively associated with stress, burnout, compassion fatigue and psychosocial occupational risk factors and negatively associated with compassion satisfaction. SPS was also positively correlated with perceived social support, hyperactivation and deactivation caregiving strategies and with agreeableness, negative emotionality and open-mindedness and negatively associated with conscientiousness and extraversion. The current review indicates a need for more inquiry into risk and protective factors, greater gender balance in future studies and research on informal caregiving. Future research should aim to explore this area quantitively and qualitatively to identify what environmental factors are contributing to negative outcomes for highly sensitive care providers, and, conversely, protective factors. Future research may also aim to consider SPS from a vantage sensitivity viewpoint and identify positive factors within caregiving environments to support highly sensitive caregivers to thrive. Tadgh Connery is supported by the National University of Ireland for all research conducted throughout his PhD through a Travelling Doctoral Studentship. notReviewed other