Exploring transdiagnostic factors of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in transitional-age youth: Using a...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Transitional-age youth (TAY), aged 15-25, exhibit higher rates of psychological distress.
• Internalizing and externalizing symptoms are prevalent in this demographic.
• Understanding transdiagnostic factors is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key transdiagnostic factors associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in TAY.
• To explore patterns of these factors within different TAY subgroups.
• To inform clinical practice and research for TAY mental health.

Main Methods:

• A mixed sample of 87 clinical and 649 community TAY (mean age 20.71, 64.1% female).
• Confidence Interval Based Estimation of Relevance (CIBER) to assess factor relevance.
• Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) to identify TAY profiles based on transdiagnostic factors.

Main Results:

• All assessed transdiagnostic factors (perfectionism, stress, self-compassion, etc.) were linked to both symptom types, with stronger associations for internalizing symptoms.
• Six distinct TAY resilience profiles were identified, ranging from low to high resilience.
• Lower resilience profiles were overrepresented in the clinical sample and reported more symptoms, while a high-perfectionism/autonomy group was more common in the community.

Conclusions:

• Transdiagnostic factors are significantly associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in TAY.
• Identifying distinct TAY profiles based on these factors can guide tailored mental health support.
• Clinical and research efforts should prioritize these transdiagnostic factors for improved TAY mental health outcomes.