Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress
IntroductionThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased psychological distress. Transdiagnostic factors, including childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits (MPTs), mentalizing, and emotion dysregulation are considered relevant to the development and maintenance of mental healt...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1427469/full |
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| author | Julia Holl Julia Holl Anna Berning Laura Kling Svenja Taubner Anna K. Georg Jana Volkert |
| author_facet | Julia Holl Julia Holl Anna Berning Laura Kling Svenja Taubner Anna K. Georg Jana Volkert |
| author_sort | Julia Holl |
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| description | IntroductionThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased psychological distress. Transdiagnostic factors, including childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits (MPTs), mentalizing, and emotion dysregulation are considered relevant to the development and maintenance of mental health problems. These factors probably play a significant role in individuals’ reactions to pandemic-related distress (PR distress). The aim of this study is to examine the associations with these transdiagnostic factors in relation to PR distress and psychopathological symptoms.Materials and methodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, we investigated a convenience sample of 6,451 adults (mean age = 44.1; SD = 11.8; 69.1% female, 30.3% male, 0.01% diverse) recruited via social media platforms in German-speaking countries (August 2020 – February 2021) by utilizing self-report instruments (PID5BF+, MentS, DERS-SF, PHQ-9, GAD-7, a composite PR distress score). Structural equation modeling was performed for data analysis.ResultsThe results revealed significant associations between different types of childhood trauma and MPTs (−0.14 < β < 0.48) as well as a parallel mediation of the relationship between MPTs and psychopathological symptoms via mentalizing (βanxiety = −0.03; βdepression = 0.01) and emotion dysregulation (βanxiety = 0.24; βdepression = 0.23).DiscussionMentalizing and emotion dysregulation seem to play a significant role in relation between childhood trauma and MPTs and psychopathological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, transdiagnostic factors may be a valuable target for the development of interventions aiming to reduce psychological distress related to a pandemic or other crises events. Specific prevention and intervention methods that target emotion dysregulation and mentalizing could help vulnerable individuals, particularly those with childhood trauma and MPTs, to protect against or alleviate the detrimental effects of PR distress on their mental health. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cf43990818b484caeb2bc31f59b2d4c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cf43990818b484caeb2bc31f59b2d4c2024-12-18T04:26:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-12-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14274691427469Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distressJulia Holl0Julia Holl1Anna Berning2Laura Kling3Svenja Taubner4Anna K. Georg5Jana Volkert6Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychological Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyInstitute for Psychosocial Prevention, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyInstitute for Psychosocial Prevention, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyInstitute for Psychosocial Prevention, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyInstitute for Psychosocial Prevention, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyInstitute for Psychosocial Prevention, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, GermanyChair of Translational Psychotherapy Research, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, Ulm, GermanyIntroductionThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased psychological distress. Transdiagnostic factors, including childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits (MPTs), mentalizing, and emotion dysregulation are considered relevant to the development and maintenance of mental health problems. These factors probably play a significant role in individuals’ reactions to pandemic-related distress (PR distress). The aim of this study is to examine the associations with these transdiagnostic factors in relation to PR distress and psychopathological symptoms.Materials and methodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, we investigated a convenience sample of 6,451 adults (mean age = 44.1; SD = 11.8; 69.1% female, 30.3% male, 0.01% diverse) recruited via social media platforms in German-speaking countries (August 2020 – February 2021) by utilizing self-report instruments (PID5BF+, MentS, DERS-SF, PHQ-9, GAD-7, a composite PR distress score). Structural equation modeling was performed for data analysis.ResultsThe results revealed significant associations between different types of childhood trauma and MPTs (−0.14 < β < 0.48) as well as a parallel mediation of the relationship between MPTs and psychopathological symptoms via mentalizing (βanxiety = −0.03; βdepression = 0.01) and emotion dysregulation (βanxiety = 0.24; βdepression = 0.23).DiscussionMentalizing and emotion dysregulation seem to play a significant role in relation between childhood trauma and MPTs and psychopathological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, transdiagnostic factors may be a valuable target for the development of interventions aiming to reduce psychological distress related to a pandemic or other crises events. Specific prevention and intervention methods that target emotion dysregulation and mentalizing could help vulnerable individuals, particularly those with childhood trauma and MPTs, to protect against or alleviate the detrimental effects of PR distress on their mental health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1427469/fullCorona viruschild maltreatmentemotion dysregulationmentalizationdepressionanxiety |
| spellingShingle | Julia Holl Julia Holl Anna Berning Laura Kling Svenja Taubner Anna K. Georg Jana Volkert Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress Frontiers in Psychology Corona virus child maltreatment emotion dysregulation mentalization depression anxiety |
| title | Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress |
| title_full | Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress |
| title_fullStr | Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress |
| title_short | Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress |
| title_sort | transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the covid 19 pandemic associations of childhood trauma maladaptive personality traits emotion regulation mentalizing and pandemic related distress |
| topic | Corona virus child maltreatment emotion dysregulation mentalization depression anxiety |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1427469/full |
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