Emotional abuse in childhood undermines trust in one's body - study by German scientists

This conclusion is based on a meta-analysis of 17 scientific studies involving 3,705 participants. The results were published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

This is the so-called interoception - the human ability to perceive and interpret the body's internal signals: heartbeat, breathing, stomach function. This sensitivity is directly linked to how we experience emotions, cope with stress and recognise our own body's needs.

"We're all familiar with the expression 'heart squeezed with terror'," say the researchers. - It illustrates well the link between emotions and bodily sensations." It is this mechanism that the team led by Professor Anna-Lena Zietloff (TU Dresden) studied.

The scientists set out to find out whether childhood abuse affects interoception - and if so, which forms of it are most damaging. In a meta-analysis, they found that the overall perception of bodily signals is not necessarily affected. However, trust in one's own body is seriously impaired.

"Our results show: people who have experienced emotional abuse or neglect in childhood often feel alienated from their own body and trust it less," explains the study's first author Julia Ditzer.

This can have severe mental health consequences - including problems with emotion regulation, perception of one's own needs and adaptation to stress, she says.

The scientists believe this mechanism may partly explain the increased risk of developing disorders such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in people with traumatic childhood experiences.

As study co-author Dr Ilka Böhm emphasises, the problem is that "emotional forms of abuse still receive much less attention than physical or sexual abuse. They are harder to spot - they are invisible, but no less destructive."

Professor Anna-Lena Citlov adds:

"We hope that our findings will help to sensitise society and professionals to the importance of emotional care for children. Child protection is not just about physical safety but also emotional sensitivity. The needs for love, support and acceptance should be prioritised - both in science, prevention and social policy."

Based on the results of the meta-analysis, the team has already launched a new study analysing the relationship between childhood violence and interoception in adolescents aged 12-17 years.

The study is Julia Ditzer et al, "A meta-analytic review of child maltreatment and interoception", Nature Mental Health, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00456-w.