TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES OF INTERNALISING SYMPTOMS: NEUROTICISM, CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY AND DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS

Abstract

This study sought to examine the transdiagnostic processes of internalising symptoms by examining the associations from distal personality antecedents (i.e., neuroticism and conscientiousness) to proximal mechanisms (i.e., core cognitive vulnerability and dispositional mindfulness) and to internalising symptoms. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate whether the core cognitive vulnerability and dispositional mindfulness mediate the relationships between neuroticism and conscientiousness and internalising symptoms. The data utilised in this analysis comprised the responses of 362 university participants to nine questionnaires measuring neuroticism, conscientiousness, core cognitive vulnerability, dispositional mindfulness, and internalising symptoms. Structural equation modelling was employed to assess the proposed structural relationships between the constructs. The results evidenced the novel finding of a complete mediation effect of the core cognitive vulnerability in the relationship between neuroticism and internalising symptoms, highlighting the crucial etiological implications of neuroticism and the core cognitive vulnerability on internalising symptoms. The findings affirm the importance of conducting future research on the core cognitive vulnerability and its potential theoretical and clinical utility in relation to internalising symptoms. Conversely, there was no statistical support for the hypothesised mediation effect of dispositional mindfulness. The implications of these findings, limitations of the study and future research directions are discussed.