Disconnecting from Difficult Emotions in Times of Crisis: The Role of Self-Compassion and Experiential Avoidance in the Link Between Perceived COVID-19 Threat and Adjustment Disorder Severity.

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted mental health worldwide. This study investigated the relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and adjustment disorder (AjD) severity, examining self-compassion (SC) and experiential avoidance (EA) as potential moderators. Additionally, cluster analysis-a statistical method for grouping individuals based on similar psychological characteristics-was employed to identify distinct profiles of SC and EA and their associations with AjD, depression, and anxiety symptoms.

Methods

A sample of 308 participants meeting AjD criteria completed measures assessing AjD severity (ADNM-20), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), SC, EA, and perceived threat of COVID-19. Moderation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro. Cluster analysis identified profiles based on SC and EA scores, with clusters compared on AjD, PHQ, and GAD symptom severity.

Results

SC and EA moderated the relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and AjD severity. Interestingly, individuals with high EA and low SC exhibited no significant association between perceived threat and AjD symptoms. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct profiles: (1) high SC and low EA, (2) average SC and EA, (3) low SC and low EA, and (4) low SC and high EA. Participants in the high SC/low EA cluster reported significantly lower levels of AjD, depression, and anxiety symptoms compared to those in the low SC/high EA cluster, who exhibited the highest symptom severity across all measures.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that individuals who relied on experiential avoidance and lacked self-compassion experienced less emotional distress related to pandemic-related worries, potentially shielding themselves from acute AjD symptoms. However, this strategy was associated with greater emotional distress, as those with high AE and SC exhibited more symptoms of AjD, depression, and anxiety. In contrast, individuals with low AE and high SC demonstrated significantly better psychological well-being.