A model of post-traumatic growth and stress reaction in China under COVID-19: A mediating instrument for trauma and disaster reduction

Abstract

The study analyzed the effect of PTS (post-traumatic symptoms) reaction on the growth of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the peak period of COVID-19. It examined the mediation impact on depression and state anxiety and the moderation effects of gender and infection history on the mediating model. Three novel questionnaires were developed, including the post-traumatic stress reaction (PTSR) questionnaire, depression questionnaire, post-traumatic growth (PTG) questionnaire, and the Spielberg State Anxiety Scale (STAI). A total of 16,438 residents in China were investigated during the coronavirus disease 2019. An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine gender and infectious history differences in PTSR, state anxiety, depression, and PTG. Moreover, the Hayes mediation process macro model 4 was applied to examine the mediation impact of depression and state anxiety on PTSD and PTG and the moderation effects of gender and infection history on the mediation model. The study states that state anxiety mediates the relationship involving PTSD symptoms as well as post-traumatic growth (PTG) [2]; depression mediates the relationship involving PTSD symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG) [3]; state anxiety and depression have a chain mediating effect between (PTSR) and (PTG) [4]; gender modifies the mediation effect, as does infection history modify the mediation effect. It concludes that post-traumatic stress reaction positively predicted state anxiety, but state anxiety negatively predicted PTSD development. Depression showed a significant positive correlation with PTSR and PTG.