Response surface analysis reveals a U-shaped relationship between interoceptive congruence and mental health in youth, suggesting interventions may help reduce self-harm behaviors.
Background: With the increasing recognition of mental health problems and self-harm behaviors as major contributors to the disease burden among young people, understanding the interplay between bodily and emotional sensations becomes crucial. This study explores the impact of interoception, specifically the congruence and incongruence between body noticing and emotional awareness, on mental health conditions in youth. Methods: We assessed interoceptive awareness using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, focusing on body noticing and emotional awareness in youth. Mental health conditions measured included depression, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation. A response surface analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of congruence and incongruence between these dimensions on mental health. Results: The analysis revealed a curvilinear “U-shaped” relationship between the congruence of body noticing and emotional awareness and mental health outcomes. Both high and low congruence levels were associated with increased mental health issues, with the optimal state being moderate congruence. A significant discrepancy, particularly when body noticing exceeded emotional awareness, correlated with heightened mental health problems. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of a balanced interoceptive awareness in youth mental health, advocating for interventions that enhance congruence between body noticing and emotional awareness. Further research is needed to validate these findings in diverse cultural contexts.
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Qu et al. (2025) studied this question.
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