Functional connectome of vicarious traumatization: detecting and helping individuals vulnerable to mental illness

COVID-19 has spread globally for more than 2 years, having a tremendous impact on both the physical health of the infected cases and the mental health of the general population In addition to psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety, vicarious traumatization (stress resulting from empathic engagement with the trauma of others) is a generic psychological condition during the pandemic, increasing the risk of mental illness Certain populations may be more susceptible to vicarious trauma than others, and it is increasingly important to identify factors that may affect individual susceptibility There is evidence that the prepandemic brain functional connectome can predict individual anxiety induced by the pandemic However, the whole relationship map of the general distress (e.g. depression and anxiety), vicarious traumatization, and functional connectome is unclear.