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Personality, Defenses, Mentalization, and Epistemic Trust Related to Pandemic Containment Strategies and the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Sequential Mediation Model

Author

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  • Annalisa Tanzilli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Alice Cibelli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Marianna Liotti

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Flavia Fiorentino

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Riccardo Williams

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Vittorio Lingiardi

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably influenced all domains of people’s lives worldwide, determining a high increase in overall psychological distress and several clinical conditions. The study attempted to shed light on the relationship between the strategies adopted to manage the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy, and distinct features of personality and mental functioning. Methods: The sample consisted of 367 Italian individuals (68.1% women, 31.9% men; M age = 37, SD = 12.79) who completed an online survey, including an instrument assessing four response styles to the pandemic and lockdown(s), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form, the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales-Self-Report-30, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, Credulity Questionnaire. Results: Maladaptive response patterns to pandemic restrictions were related to dysfunctional personality traits, immature defense mechanisms, poor mentalization, and epistemic mistrust or credulity. Moreover, more severe levels of personality pathology were predictive of an extraverted-maladaptive response style to health emergency through the full mediation of low overall defensive functioning, poor certainty of others’ mental states, and high epistemic credulity. Conclusions: Recognizing and understanding dysfunctional psychological pathways associated with individuals’ difficulties in dealing with the pandemic are crucial for developing tailored mental-health interventions and promoting best practices in healthcare services.

Suggested Citation

  • Annalisa Tanzilli & Alice Cibelli & Marianna Liotti & Flavia Fiorentino & Riccardo Williams & Vittorio Lingiardi, 2022. "Personality, Defenses, Mentalization, and Epistemic Trust Related to Pandemic Containment Strategies and the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Sequential Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:21:p:14290-:d:960538
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Schmiedeberg, Claudia & Thönnissen, Carolin, 2021. "Positive and negative perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic: Does personality play a role?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    2. Niccolò Morandotti & Natascia Brondino & Alessia Merelli & Annalisa Boldrini & Giulia Zelda De Vidovich & Sara Ricciardo & Vera Abbiati & Paolo Ambrosi & Edgardo Caverzasi & Peter Fonagy & Patrick Luy, 2018. "The Italian version of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire: Validity data for adults and its association with severity of borderline personality disorder," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-13, November.
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    5. Selçuk Özdin & Şükriye Bayrak Özdin, 2020. "Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 504-511, August.
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    1. Gaia Sampogna & Maurizio Pompili & Andrea Fiorillo, 2022. "The Short-Term Consequences of COVID-19 on Mental Health: State of the Art from Available Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-5, November.

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