Beyond symptoms: A person-centered approach to psychological assessment using transdiagnostic factors. Insights from the PSYCARE study on Italy's ‘psychological bonus’ policy

Mental health disorders and limited care access are global challenges. In Italy, the Psychological Bonus (PB) aims to increase access to psychological care. As part of the PsyCARE project, this study explores the characteristics of the PB's participants, using a person-centered approach to investigate patients' psychopathological and transdiagnostic profiles. Cross-sectional data from 2261 patients were analyzed, focusing on clinical characteristics, treatment reasons, and differences between patients already in therapy and new patients. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) identified psychological profiles based on symptoms and transdiagnostic factors (emotion regulation and epistemic trust). Anxiety and depressive disorders were the most common diagnoses. Patients already in treatment were more likely to be on medication, have a history of non-suicidal self-injury, and have experienced hospitalization for psychological problems. LPA identified four profiles: Profile 1 (19.79 %) with the highest distress, poor emotion regulation, and significant interpersonal difficulties; Profile 2 (28.89 %) and Profile 3 (22.82 %) with above-average distress but varying emotion regulation behaviors and interpersonal dispositions; and Profile 4 (28.50 %) with the lowest distress, adaptive emotion regulation, and more adaptive interpersonal dispositions. Significant Sex and age differences were observed across profiles, but no differences between patients already in therapy and new patients. This study emphasizes the value of integrating transdiagnostic elements into psychological assessment beyond symptom-focused approaches. While different profiles presented similar levels of psychological distress, they differed substantially in emotion regulation strategies and interpersonal dispositions. These findings underscore the need for tailored interventions addressing symptomatology and the transdiagnostic mechanisms that shape individuals' psychological functioning.