Cutting oneself off from difficult emotions in the face of danger. The role of self- compassion and experiential avoidance in the link between the perceived threat of Covid-19 and the severity of adjustment disorder symptoms

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic led to a major health crisis associated with adverse mental health consequences. The present study evaluated the link between the perceived threat of COVID-19 pandemic and adjustment disorder (AjD) severity and assessed if self-compassion (SC) and experiential avoidance (EA), previously indicated as protective factors for mental health, function as moderators of this relationship. Participants (N = 308) with the symptoms of AjD filled out questionnaires assessing the severity of depression, anxiety, and AjD, and scales evaluating experiential avoidance (EA), self-compassion (SC), and perceived health and life risk of COVID-19. We found a moderating effect of SC and EA on the association between the perceived threat of COVID-19 and AjD severity. Participants scoring high in EA showed a lack of the link between those variables, similar to those who were low in SC. Cluster analysis, however, revealed that individuals characterized by a high level of EA and a low level of SC had higher AjD, depression, and anxiety symptoms compared with those in the cluster with the opposite pattern. Current results point to the importance of being compassionate toward one's own psychological experiences, in spite of the tendency to shut from the emotional meaning of worrying.