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Abstract
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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.
Language: en |