Trauma, personality structure and psychopathology: a cartography of psychodynamic constructs

In this study, network analysis technique is applied to dissect the links between personality organization, reflective functioning, attachment security, primary affective traits, childhood trauma and psychopathological symptoms.

A total sample of 498 (77% female) participants from the general population was investigated. A cross-sectional network between personality organization [IPO-16], hypomentalizing [RFQ-6], attachment [ECR-RD8]), primary affective traits [BANPS-GL], depression, anxiety and somatization symptoms [BSI-18], addiction [WHO-ASSIST] and childhood trauma [CTQ] was estimated via the EBICglasso and relimp algorithm. Regularized partial correlation edge weights, node centrality, predictability, bridge centrality, relative importance and stability coefficients were analyzed.

We observed personality organization, SADNESS and hypomentalizing as the most influential personality constructs within the investigated network. Personality organization and hypomentalizing were also observed as nodes with the highest bridge centrality, signifying their potential relevance as mediator between trauma, affect and psychiatric symptom severity.

The results enable a data-driven, in-depth examination of the complex and often reciprocal relations among psychopathological symptoms, childhood adversity and psychodynamic personality constructs. Our observations highlight critical interconnections among childhood trauma, primary affects, personality functioning and psychopathology and pinpoint personality organization, hypomentalizing and SADNESS as central psychodynamic personality constructs.