Epistemic trust and psychopathology. Is the effect of childhood trauma mediated by epistemic disruptions?

Epistemic Trust (ET) is a construct of increasing relevance to psychotherapy theory and research, defined as the individual’s ability to regard interpersonally transmitted knowledge as trustworthy, relevant, and socially generalizable. Being a fundamental capacity that enables social learning and allows individuals to benefit from their interpersonal relationships, ET may play a crucial role in explaining the development and maintenance of psychopathology. ET also has important associations with attachment security, mentalizing abilities, and general levels of well-being. It has been proposed that complex trauma, in conjunction with other factors, may disrupt ET development, leading to excessively high levels of epistemic vigilance (i.e., to Epistemic Mistrust [EM]), or to an inappropriate and blind trust in others (i.e., to Epistemic Credulity [EC]). Both EM and EC might interfere with the ability to adaptively respond to interpersonal difficulties, hindering psychotherapy effectiveness. This study aimed to assess levels of ET, EM, and EC in a group of 445 adults, utilizing the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ). Data were collected through an online survey. We aimed at investigating the association between ET, EM, EC, and multiple aspects of psychological functioning, such as reflective functioning, psychological symptoms, mentalized affectivity, attachment patterns, and the presence of childhood trauma. Moreover, we aimed at exploring if the relationship between childhood adverse experiences and psychological symptoms is mediated by the presence of a specific epistemic stance. Other than the results of these analyses, some methodological and theoretical issues regarding epistemic trust will be discussed.