The Importance of Mentalized Affectivity in Understanding the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experience & Pathological Concern

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Abstract

With increasing interest in emotional regulation as an important determinant of psychopathology, prior research has demonstrated that mentalization plays a role in the development of psychological distress and dysfunction. Mentalized affectivity, a specialized form of emotion regulation that includes valuing emotions and reflecting on how current affect is shaped by past experience, may be an especially important factor that both predicts and mediates how prior experience influences current functioning. The current study aimed to investigate how mentalized affectivity, a component of mentalization, might have an indirect effect on the relationship between adverse childhood experience and pathological concern. A total of 171 participants completed measures of adverse childhood experience, pathological concern, and mentalized affectivity (MA). Parallel mediation analysis confirmed that MA had an indirect effect on the relationship between adverse childhood experience and pathological concern. Specifically, lower identifying and expressing components accounted for the mediating effect. The role of compromised MA is discussed, including how deficits in identifying and expressing may be important factors when assessing and treating those with adverse childhood experiences and pathological concern. Future directions, both clinical and empirical, are explored.

Publication Title

North American Journal of Psychology

ISSN

1527-7143

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS