An Academic Achievement Model for Students with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Kermanshah Earthquake) based on Cognitive Ability and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Introduction: Academic achievement is one of the main concerns of the educational system of any country, and as a result, any factor that is effective in reducing or increasing its quantity and quality is considered and emphasized by researchers. Psychological damage and stressful accidents have effects on academic achievement. This study aimed to develop a model of structural equations for academic achievement of students with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) (Kermanshah earthquake) based on cognitive ability; moreover, it was attempted to investigate the mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation in this regard. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted based on a quantitative and applied research method. The statistical population of the present study includes all students with PSTD in Sarpol Zahab, Kermanshah Province, Iran, in the academic year of 2018-19. In total, 48 cases were selected using the available sampling method. The data were collected using the Capita’s Log software, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and final grades of Persian literature and mathematics courses. Data analysis was performed employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) and Smart PLS software. Findings: The results of this study in the form of a structural model showed that all t-coefficients among the three main constructs were higher than 1.96, which indicates the existence of significant relationships among research variables. In other words, cognitive ability has a direct and significant relationship with the academic achievement of students with PSTD. Moreover, there is a negative relationship between cognitive ability and difficulty in emotion regulation. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed the direct and significant effect of cognitive ability on the academic achievement of students with PSTD. In addition, an indirect effect of cognitive ability was observed on the academic achievement of these students with a mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation. The findings of the present study indicate that the improvement of the cognitive ability, as well as the enhancement of the skills related to emotion regulation in students with PSTD, leads to improved academic achievement.