Internalizing/Externalizing Problems and Sensory Processing Alteration in Children Referred to Child Mental Health Centers

Internalizing and externalizing problems have been associated with sensory processing (SP) alteration, where severe alterations are equivalent to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Background/Objectives: The present study aims to examine the relationship between childhood problems and the degree of sensory processing alteration in children referred to a Child Mental Health Center (CMHC). Methods: The sample consisted of 64 children (44 boys and 20 girls), aged 6 to 8 years, who were referred by their pediatricians to a Child Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Gipuzkoa, Spain. Data were collected using the parent-report version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6–18) and the Child Sensory Profile (CSP-2). Data were collected using the parent-report version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6–18) and the Child Sensory Profile, Second Edition (CSP-2). Analyses of variance and qualitative analyses were conducted to compare T-scores of childhood problems across SP alteration groups (no alteration, mild, moderate, and severe). Results: A total of 31.3% (n = 20) of participants in the present study exhibited a severe SP alteration. These children obtained significantly higher scores than those without SP alteration on the Withdrawn/Depressed, Attention, Social and Thought Problems syndrome scales, as well as on the Internalizing Problems and Total Problems scales. Furthermore, children with severe SP alteration scored within the clinical range (T-score ≥ 70) on the Anxious/Depressed and Attention problems scales. Mean scores for Internalizing, Externalizing and Total Problems reached the clinical threshold (T-score ≥ 64) when the SP alteration was classified as moderate or severe. These findings indicate that SP alteration is associated with increased internalizing and externalizing problems in children referred to CMHC, with clinical levels observed particularly in cases of moderate to severe SP alteration. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of including SP assessment into the diagnostic evaluation of childhood mental health problems.