Highly sensitive? Science shows your depth of feeling isn’t a flaw

If you find yourself wiping away tears during the opening minutes of "The Impossible" or flinching at loud restaurant music, you’re not overreacting. 

You might be what psychologists call a highly sensitive person (HSP). This means you experience and process the world more deeply than most people.

What is an HSP in plain terms?

The term originates from decades of research into a trait psychologists refer to as sensory - processing sensitivity (SPS).

Pioneered by Elaine Aron in the 1990s, SPS describes people who sense subtleties others miss and process experiences more deeply.

HSPs tend to notice small details, feel emotions strongly, and can get overwhelmed by things like bright lights, loud noises or busy places.

About 15 to 30 percent of people are HSPs.

They experience a richer emotional and sensory life, but this is not considered a disorder.

New evidence links sensitivity to mental health risks. A first-of-its-kind systematic review and meta-analysis in Clinical Psychological Science examined two decades of research to answer one key question: Are highly sensitive individuals more prone to mental health problems?

The answer, according to the study, is yes. People with higher SPS were more likely to report common conditions such as anxiety and depression. The research also found, though more weakly, links to OCD, PTSD and phobias.

Importantly, the authors emphasise that this isn’t about labeling sensitivity as a disorder. Rather, it highlights a risk factor that could help clinicians tailor care more effectively.

What does sensitivity look like in everyday life? 

If you cry at films, are drained by crowded shopping centres or replay conversations until you can’t sleep, those are classic HSP experiences.

Neuroimaging shows that highly sensitive people have stronger brain activity in areas tied to perception and empathy when processing emotions - helping explain why the world can feel both more vivid and overwhelming.

Yet, the strengths are equally powerful:

• Sensitive brains don’t miss much. According to Time, highly sensitive individuals process information more deeply, spot patterns, notice details others might overlook and benefit more from supportive environments - a phenomenon researchers call the “Boost Effect". 
• SPS isn’t just about feeling more; it’s about tuning in more effectively. A Forbes article notes that HSPs often excel in empathy, attention to detail, intuition and emotional intelligence - skills that are invaluable in caregiving, creative work, leadership and supporting those around them. 

Our world is filled with perpetual notifications, emotional bombardment, and overstimulation.

HSPs may feel worn out faster. But that very same sensitivity can make you so much more tuned in to art, to others, to nuance.

Whether it’s crying during a movie or noticing a friend’s micro-expression, your depth of feeling is your clarity. Even strengths can become stressors. 

Research shows that while HSPs experience heightened empathy, this can also make them more prone to emotional exhaustion - especially when opportunities for emotional detachment, a natural protective buffer, are limited, according to Frontiers.

In other words, caring deeply can take a toll unless you consciously replenish your emotional reserves.

Nurturing sensitivity: 

• Practice self-care to recharge: Everyone benefits from downtime, but for HSPs, quiet reflection isn’t optional; it’s essential. When overstimulated, build intentional breaks into your day. 
• Curate your environment: Adjust lighting, sound and emotional stimuli proactively. If certain movie scenes always make you cry (we feel you), maybe pair them with a calming ritual, a cup of tea, journaling or a walk. 
• Lean into your strengths: Channel your creativity and empathy into expressive outlets writing, art, music or use your insight as a confidant or coach within your circle. Sensitive people often become the emotional anchors of friendships. 
• Seek supportive spaces: The "Boost Effect" shows that sensitivity flourishes in supportive relationships or coaching environments; therapists, mentors and intimate communities can help you grow, not just cope.