The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity trait and emotional and behavioral problems among Egyptian children

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait that has been linked to various mental health outcomes among highly sensitive children. To investigate the SPS trait and its relationship with emotional and behavioral problems among Egyptian children. A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting parents of Egyptian children aged 4–17 years. Participants ( n = 391) were recruited via different online platforms. Besides a questionnaire on sociodemographic data, parents completed the Arabic version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) for children. Sampled children’s mean age was 9 ± 3.75 years, and 57.5% were males. Nearly half of them had “at-risk/elevated” total SDQ score (46.3%). The highest “at-risk/elevated” score was on the emotional problems subscale (55%). Prosocial behavior had the lowest “at-risk/elevated” score (12%). Hypersensitivity was found in 10.2% of the sampled children. A higher percentage of hypersensitive children had statistically significant “at-risk/elevated” scores on the emotional problems subscale compared to non-hypersensitive children (82.5% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.04). On the other hand, a lower percentage of hypersensitive children had statistically significant “at-risk/elevated” scores regarding hyperactivity and prosocial behavior compared to non-hypersensitive ones (27.5% vs. 48.1%, p = 0.01 and 7.5% vs. 28.5%, p = 0.004, respectively). The current study uncovered the substantial presence of the SPS trait among Egyptian children and its association with emotional problems. This calls for further studies to investigate its impact on the child and family, its moderators, and the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children with high SPS.