Transdiagnostic Factors and Their Relationship to Post-Traumatic Stress and Psychopathology in Clinical Populations

Abstract

Background: High comorbidity among mental disorders challenges the utility of categorical classifications. The transdiagnostic perspective focuses on common psychological processes, potentially overcoming these limitations. The aim of this study was to explore transdiagnostic factors related to post-traumatic stress and psychopathology in a clinical sample.

Methods: Sixty-one patients (73.8% women; aged 20–66 years, M = 43.79, standard deviation (SD) = 12.75) from the Adult Mental Health Unit of the Hospital Clínico Universitario of Valencia were assessed on symptomatology (post-traumatic stress and psychopathology) and psychological variables (emotional dysregulation, resilience, personality, social support, and stressful life events).

Results: Our results indicated elevated post-traumatic stress scores (M = 70.49, SD = 20.33), suggesting clinically significant distress, together with low exposure to stressful life events (Median (Mdn) = 2.00; interquartile range (IQR) = 2.00). Post-traumatic stress and psychopathology were positively correlated with emotional dysregulation and negatively with resilience, social support, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Higher post-traumatic stress and psychopathology were linked to low social support, low extraversion, and high emotional dysregulation. Emotional dysregulation emerged as a key moderating variable, potentially diminishing the protective effects of resilience on post-traumatic stress.

Conclusions: Overall, findings support the transdiagnostic approach, highlighting that factors like emotion regulation contribute not only to symptom development but also critically influence how risk and protective factors affect mental health outcomes, emphasizing the importance of targeting these processes in clinical intervention and prevention efforts.