Transdiagnostic factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the role of childhood abuse and neglect in establishing latent profiles of risk and resilience

Dana Lassri; Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan; Tobias Nolte

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106808

Transdiagnostic factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the role of childhood abuse and neglect in establishing latent profiles of risk and resilience

Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Apr 30:106808. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106808. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Dana Lassri¹, Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan², Tobias Nolte³

Affiliations

¹ The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London (UCL), United Kingdom. Electronic address: dana.lassri@mail.huji.ac.il.
² School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: agewirtz-@univ.haifa.ac.il.
³ Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London (UCL), United Kingdom; Anna Freud, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Tobias.NolteMD@annafreud.org.

PMID: 38693009
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106808

Abstract

Background: Ample studies have focused on the negative consequences of COVID-19 on mental well-being, but fewer have explored the specific role of childhood abuse and neglect in the context of risk and resilience during this unprecedented crisis.

Objective: We aimed to identify distinct profiles of individuals based on their experiences of childhood abuse and neglect, coping strategies, and psycho-social transdiagnostic risk and protective factors, using a person-centered approach.

Participants and setting: A convenience sample of 914 Israelis completed self-report questionnaires during the second wave of COVID-19.

Methods: Latent Profile Analysis was employed based on levels of childhood abuse and neglect, coping strategies, and established factors underpinning risk and resilience in mental health: dissociation, self-criticism, self-efficacy, self-compassion, attachment insecurity, psychological resilience, mentalizing, distress disclosure, psychopathology, and relationship satisfaction. Profiles were compared in COVID-19-related distress and well-being using ANOVAs.

Results: A four-profile solution was found to be optimal for describing individuals with different profiles of risk and resilience: "risk" (5.1 %)-individuals with meaningfully high levels of childhood abuse and neglect and dissociation; "vulnerable" (14.2 %)-individuals high in risk factors and low in protective factors; "moderately resilient" (47.6 %)-those with moderate levels of protective and risk factors; "highly resilient" (33.1 %)-individuals high in protective factors and low in risk factors; groups differed in mental well-being and COVID-19-related distress.

Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of childhood abuse and neglect in differentiating between the two distinct profiles of at-risk individuals. Implications for risk assessment and treatment in the context of potential traumatic stress are discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Childhood abuse and neglect; Mental well-being; Person-centered approach; Resilience; Risk.