Blogs
Are Highly Sensitive People More Stressed? Here’s What the Evidence Says
This blog summarises a recent systematic review that synthesized the current evidence for the association between sensory sensitivity and stress. Solid evidence exists for a relation between sensory sensitivity and stress, but more research is needed on specific groups and protective factors.
Unravelling the Link Between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Medication Sensitivity
Individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) often experience stronger reactions to their surroundings—and recent research shows that this extends to medication. This study highlights the relationship between SPS and medication sensitivity, offering valuable insights into personalised medicine and strategies to improve treatment outcomes for highly sensitive individuals.
Summary of the 3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research
On Friday, 23 May 2025, a community of academics, professionals, and interested members of the public gathered, both in person and online, to discuss the latest research on sensitivity. This blog post summarises the conference and highlights some key contributions from various sensitivity researchers.
Webinar: Highly Sensitive Children in School: New Findings and Resources
In this webinar, we share the latest research on highly sensitive children in primary school and present new resources, including our revised website, a new teacher questionnaire to identify sensitive children, a new online training module for teachers about sensitive children, and a professional assessment of highly sensitive children.
3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research – Programme and Information
Registration is now open for the 3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research: We are delighted to welcome you to the 3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research at the University of Surrey.
This conference brings together leading researchers and scholars to explore the latest advancements in sensitivity research. With a diverse programme including insightful presentations, a poster session, and a dynamic panel discussion, we aim to foster engaging discussions and meaningful collaborations.
Raising Sensitive Minds: How Warm Parenting Fosters Emotion Regulation in Highly Sensitive Children
We explored the connection between high sensitivity, emotion regulation, and parenting. While heightened sensitivity can pose challenges, the results of our study show that warm and responsive caregiving can significantly enhance emotion regulation in highly sensitive children.
These findings emphasize the importance of nurturing parenting in fostering emotional resilience and psychological well-being in sensitive children.
3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research – Call for Submissions
The 3rd International Conference on Sensitivity Research will take place on May 23rd 2025 at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom (a 30min train ride from London).
Besides an exciting invited programme (to be announced in early 2025), we welcome submission of abstracts for a limited number of talks and posters on any recent research on sensitivity.
The Role of Sensitivity in Refugee Children’s Mental Health
Refugee children self-reporting high levels of environmental sensitivity are at risk for poorer mental health outcomes compared to less sensitive children.
Although self-reported sensitivity can be biased, we were unable to find any biological markers that could potentially serve as objective indicators of sensitivity.
How Sensitivity Shapes Our Reactions to Life’s Highs and Lows
Our individual degree of sensitivity to the world around us affects how we experience both good and bad events. In two studies, we explored how individuals with heightened environmental sensitivity respond more strongly to both stressful and positive experiences, suggesting practical ways to support mental health based on these insights.
How High Sensitivity Drives Sustainability: the Power of Awe and Nature Connectedness
Highly sensitive people are more connected with nature. In this study we show that awe, the admiration for nature, is an important factor in this connection.
We also demonstrate that higher sensitivity leads to more pro-environmental behaviours through nature connectedness and the capacity to value the future consequences of actions.