Transdiagnostic conceptualization of social avoidance through the lens of personality functioning and traits

Abstract

This commentary seeks to highlight how social avoidance is portrayed in the six presented case‐reports from the perspective of self‐ and interpersonal functioning as well as stylistic trait features of negative affectivity (e.g., anxiousness and shame) and detachment (e.g., social withdrawal and emotional restriction). This approach to avoidance and social isolation will subsequently be generalized to a range of mental disorders where such features play a significant role. We propose that self and interpersonal functioning along with traits of negative affectivity and detachment may serve as a transdiagnostic framework for describing features of avoidance and social isolation across different treatment models, traditions, and disorders. We specifically assume that future developments of the promising treatment approaches presented in the current collection of case reports may benefit from such a “shared” framework for conceptualizing and treating self‐ and interpersonal problems related to avoidance and social isolation.

The ICD-11 classification of personality disorders: a European perspective on challenges and opportunities

“…These patients tend to engage in little to no 'small talk' even if initiated by others (e.g., at store check-out counters), seek out employment that does not involve interactions with others, and even refuse promotions if it would entail more interaction with others. The complete Avoidant PD pattern of Negative Affectivity and Detachment is overall consistent with the description of Avoidant PD patients as being both fearful and emotionally inhibited [39][40][41][42]. In addition, Avoidant PD features may also be illuminated by scales developed to capture ICD-11 trait facets and nuances such as evaluation apprehension, social isolation, shame, interpersonal inadequacy, unassertiveness, risk aversiveness, ineptitude, and fragility (see Table 4) [10,22,31].…”

Differences in personality functioning impairment in mood, anxiety, and personality disorders: a cluster analysis

“…Our study has some limitations that should be addressed. First, we should point out the heterogeneity of the patients’ groups, although some of the current research frameworks advise to conduct research on mixed clinical samples to amplify the dimensional and transdiagnostic approach to mental disorders [ 59 , 60 ]. Notedly, the group of people with mood and anxiety diagnoses was quite heterogeneous in their categorical diagnoses and given the presented findings and paucity of previous studies, we would advise future studies to address these two diagnostic categories separately as well.…”

The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…Indeed, we were not able to find a shared, set list of transdiagnostic factors to consider for our keywords. Although an attempt was made to choose the main internalizing and externalizing factors for mental disorders that are also linked to a wide number of psychopathologies [10][11][12]15,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36], this arbitrary selection might also have led to the neglect other important keywords. Future reviews might help with investigating the effects of VR-based interventions on other important transdiagnostic factors.…”

“…For example, different types of avoidance (e.g., avoidance behaviors, social avoidance, experiential avoidance, cognitive avoidance, etc.) characterize a wide variety of mental health disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), psychotic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders [26][27][28][29]. Similarly, difficulties in using emotion regulation strategies and cognitive reappraisal are linked to the maintenance and development of several psychopathologies and represent some of the main targets of transdiagnostic CBTbased treatments [15,[30][31][32].…”