Child maltreatment and interoception: A meta-analytic review

Interoception, our internal sense of bodily signals, is a key transdiagnostic factor for psychopathology and somatic diseases. Given its clinical relevance, there is growing interest in unraveling the etiology of disruptions in interoceptive processes. The present study employs meta-analytic methods to summarize findings on the role of one hypothesized determinant of interoception: child maltreatment. Strictly adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we provide an overview of existing literature and investigate potential differences in the relation of distinct types of child maltreatment and interoceptive dimensions. To this end, we undertook a systematic search of relevant studies in August 2023. Our final selection criteria included (1) empirical studies on human subjects and (2) studies that report or provide data to calculate correlations of child maltreatment (≤ 18 years) and interoception. This search yielded 17 studies to include in the present meta-analytic review. We found that a history of child maltreatment was not linked to interoceptive accuracy, sensibility, or awareness. However, child maltreatment – most notably emotional maltreatment – was negatively correlated to body trust (r = -.19 to -.08), a central element of interoception. The importance of investigating the relationship of child maltreatment and interoception lies in its potential to shed light on the mechanisms underlying long-term effects of child maltreatment on mental and physical health. Additionally, insights from this analysis could inform the development of targeted interventions to reduce the adverse consequences of early life stressors.