Transdiagnostic mechanisms of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: associations of childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, emotion regulation, mentalizing, and pandemic-related distress

Mentalizing 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.