Abstract

Trauma and stress experiences influence not only psychological well-being but also physical health. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt an integrative approach that considers both psychological and somatic symptoms when examining the complex characteristics of these responses. This study utilized the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology(HiTOP) as a theoretical framework and employed a person-centered approach to empirically identify subtypes of trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Using Latent Profile Analysis(LPA) on 35 MMPI-2-RF scales from 168 psychiatric outpatients, we identified five profiles: Adaptive Group(AG, 20.2%), Depression-Predominant Group(DPG, 14.9%), Emotion Processing Difficulty Group(EPDG, 26.8%), Depression-Anxiety Group(DAG, 20.8%), and Broad Symptom Report Group(BSRG, 17.3%). The AG demonstrated psychological stability indicative of a resilient trajectory, while the EPDG showed a hierarchical discrepancy pattern with heightened headache complaints and suicidal ideation despite normal higher-order scales, suggesting somatization linked to alexithymia. The DPG was marked by melancholic features and reduced energy and activity, whereas the DAG exhibited complex internalizing issues, including comorbid depression, anxiety, and somatic or cognitive symptoms. The BSRG revealed multidimensional functional impairments across internalizing, thought, and externalizing dimensions. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that Higher-Order scales were the most effective predictors of profile membership(classification accuracy=83.9%), with Emotional Internalizing Dysfunction(EID) identified as the strongest predictor. This finding supports the theoretical view that trauma-related disorders reside within the internalizing dimension of HiTOP. Overall, this study confirmed the utility of the hierarchical structure of the MMPI-2-RF for identifying the heterogeneity of trauma and stress responses. It also emphasized the importance of integrating psychological and somatic symptoms in assessments, offering foundational data for personalized treatment planning tailored to the characteristics of each profile.