“I get by with a little help from my friends”: Posttraumatic growth in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study examined variables associated with post-traumatic growth (PTG) in stroke carers and compared predictions of two models of PTG within this population: the model of Schaefer and Moos was compared to that of Tedeschi and Calhoun (1992, Personal coping: Theory, research, and application. Westport, CT: Praeger, 149; 1998, Posttraumatic growth: Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 99; 2004, Psychol. Inq., 15, 1, respectively). A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Carers of stroke survivors (N = 71) completed questionnaires measuring PTG, coping style, social support, survivor functioning, age, and carer quality of life. Correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analyses were used to test hypotheses. All carers completing the PTG measure (N = 70) reported growth, but average scores differed from cancer carers (Chambers et al., 2012, Eur. J. Cancer Care, 21, 213; Thombre et al., 2010, J. Psychosocial Oncol., 28, 173). PTG was positively correlated with deliberate and intrusive rumination, avoidance coping, social support, and quality of life. Regression analysis showed that factors identified by Tedeschi and Calhoun (deliberate rumination, intrusive rumination, social support, acceptance coping, survivor functioning) accounted for 49% of variance in PTG, whereas those identified by Schaefer and Moos (active coping, avoidance coping, social support, survivor functioning, and age) accounted for only 21%. Rumination, especially deliberate rumination, explained most variance in PTG and mediated the effect of social support on PTG. The findings add to the limited body of evidence suggesting that stroke carers experience growth. Deliberate rumination and social support are important in explaining growth, and the findings support the model proposed by Tedeschi and Calhoun over that of Schaefer and Moos. What is already known on this subject? Literature on caring for stroke survivors focuses on negative outcomes (Ilse, Feys, de Wit, Putman, & de Weerdt, 2008) to the exclusion of positive outcomes such as post-traumatic growth (PTG; Calhoun & Tedeschi, 1999). Studies of a variety of health conditions have demonstrated that PTG occurs in patients and carers after illness events and is associated with well-being (Gangstad, Norman, & Barton, 2006; Helgeson, Reynolds, & Tomich, 2006; Kim, Schulz, & Carver, 2007). Exploratory studies and studies of benefit finding have shown that PTG occurs in stroke carers (Bacon, Milne, Sheikh, & Freeston, 2009; Buschenfeld, Morris, & Lockwood, 2009; Haley et al., 2009; Thompson, 1991), but there are no studies using standard instruments to assess PTG in this population. Moreover, current theories posit different explanations for PTG (Schaefer & Moos, 1992, 1998; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004), and there is a need for empirical tests (Park, 2010). What does this study add? This study extends knowledge by measuring PTG with a standard instrument in a sample of UK stroke carers and investigating associated variables. The study also compared the predictive power of the models of PTG proposed by Tedeschi and Calhoun (2004) and Schaefer and Moos (1992, 1998). PTG was found in UK stroke carers, but levels differed from cancer carers in other countries. Factors associated with PTG were identified; Tedeschi and Calhoun's model best predicted PTG. Deliberate rumination had a direct effect on PTG and also mediated the effect of social support. Deliberate rumination is a possible target for therapeutic interventions to enhance PTG.

Background: When schools reopened for face-to-face classroom instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers faced many professional challenges. Most studies examining teachers’ psychosocial condition after school reopening predominantly focused on negative aspects of their emotional well-being, leaving a gap in the understanding of the potential positive effects. This study is grounded in the theory of post-traumatic growth, which suggests that growth and development can occur alongside difficulties. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to shed light on the lesser explored associations between resilience, social support, and post-traumatic growth among teachers after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examined the differences in post-traumatic growth between teachers in special education and those in general education. Methods: The participants in this cross-sectional study were recruited by convenience sampling. A self-report online survey was used to collect data from 208 Israeli teachers during November 2022. Results: Most of the participants (79.4%) reported experiences of post-traumatic growth during the pandemic. The findings revealed that post-traumatic growth exhibited a positive association with social support (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = 0.18, p < 0.001). The multiple regression model was significant, explaining 14.5% of the variance in post-traumatic growth [F(4.202) = 8.58, p < 0.001]. Finally, special education teachers exhibited higher levels of post-traumatic growth than general education teachers (t = −2.36, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Social support for teachers must be provided during and after traumas caused by crises and pandemics similar to COVID-19. Intervention programs and ongoing training should offer effective tools to help teachers balance their professional and personal lives. Promoting positive changes in teacher well-being must be a priority in the education system.

Factors associated with post-traumatic growth in male patients with rectal cancer: A cross-sectional study.

The relation between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and aspects of the social context, such as social support and social constraint, continues to be unclear in cancer survivors. Social cognitive processing theory is a useful framework for examining the effect of the social context on PTG. In theory, support interactions may either facilitate or hinder cognitive processing and thus lead to different PTG outcomes. The current study tested the hypothesis that emotional support and instrumental support would each explain a unique amount of the variance in PTG in distressed hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors. Additionally, it was predicted that social constraint on cancer-related disclosure would be negatively associated with PTG. Forty-nine distressed HSCT survivors with a spouse or partner completed the posttraumatic growth inventory and measures of social support received from their spouse/partner and social constraint from people close to them as part of a larger clinical trial. Both emotional and instrumental social support were positively correlated with PTG, and social constraint on disclosure was not associated with PTG. Contrary to hypotheses, instrumental support was the only unique social contextual predictor of PTG. The results of this study highlight the importance of examining the effects of subtypes of social support on PTG separately. Findings are discussed in the context of the cognitive (i.e., processing of the traumatic event) versus non-cognitive (i.e., buffering stress) pathways between the social context and PTG. Future research directions are presented.

Simple SummaryA diagnosis of childhood cancer, and its subsequent treatment, initiates a difficult and long-lasting experience for families which can result in posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, positive change, such as growth, may also occur. The relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and growth in the wake of childhood cancer is poorly understood. We sought to better understand the relationships between children’s posttraumatic stress symptoms and growth and those of their parents via a survey. The results from our study showed that the children and parents in our study were faring relatively well, reporting low levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and moderate levels of growth. The children’s posttraumatic stress symptom score was not related to, nor did it predict their growth. The same was true for their parents wherein their posttraumatic stress symptom score was not related to, nor did it predict their growth. Notably, lower posttraumatic stress symptom scores among children were associated with greater growth in their parents, and vice versa, but the parents’ posttraumatic stress symptom score was not associated with the children’s growth.There is a growing focus on describing both negative and positive outcomes in the wake of childhood cancer. The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the relationships between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among children living beyond cancer and one of their parents. As part of a larger online survey, 113 children (Mage at time of study = 15.82 (SD = 4.81); Mage at diagnosis = 5.86 (SD = 4.66)) and one of their parents completed questionnaires assessing PTSS and PTG. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample and levels of PTSS and PTG. Data were z-transformed and analyzed using bivariate correlations and t-tests. An actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) was used to test whether children’s and their parents’ PTSS was associated with their own PTG (actor effect) and the others’ PTG (partner effect). PTSS was low and PTG was moderate in this sample relative to scale ranges. There were no significant differences between the children’s and their parents’ PTSS (p = 0.535) or PTG (p = 0.534). Results from the APIM showed no significant actor effects (p = 0.185). A significant overall partner effect (p = 0.020) emerged. Lower PTSS for children was associated with greater PTG for their parents (b = −0.29, p = 0.018), but parent’s PTSS was not associated with children’s PTG (p = 0.434). This sample reported similar levels of PTSS and PTG to that which has been reported in the literature. Children and their parents’ scores on PTSS and PTG measures were not significantly different from one another. Children’s PTSS was negatively associated with their parents PTG, illuminating the ways in which PTSS and PTG may be related in the context of childhood cancer. Exploring family-based strategies to reduce PTSS and enhance PTG may be warranted, though further studies are required.

The aim of the present study was to see the predictive role of coping strategies in psychological distress and Post Traumatic Growth among 1862 individuals exposed to floods 2010 in Pakistan. The age range of the participants was 15 to 66 years (M = 28.25, SD = 9.59), with participation of both men and women. Data was collected during midmarch 2013 to May 2013. Brief Cope inventory, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS) Scale and Post Traumatic Growth Inventory were used to measure the Coping Strategies, Psychological Distress and Post Traumatic Growth (PTG), respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that after controlling the effect of gender, age, education, and marital status; coping strategies such as, self-distraction, denial, substance use coping, behavioural disengagement, venting, humour and self-blame coping accounted for 33 % of the variance in psychological distress. While, active coping, use instrumental support coping, positive reframing, planning, religious coping, and acceptance coping accounted for 31% of the variance in PTG. Moreover, psychological distress and Post Traumatic Growth were marginally correlated. Findings have implications for clinical interventions. Interventions for flood affected individuals ought to be planned while keeping in mind coping strategies. Cross sectional nature of the study, use of self-report measures and non-probability sampling are the limitations of the study.

This study examined the posttraumatic growth (PTG) about parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and the correlates of PTG. A cross-sectional study. Parents (N = 388) of children with isolated CL/P (ages 3 months-18 years) who had at least one cleft surgery within an oral and maxillofacial surgery department of a university-affiliated tertiary hospital in a provincial capital in southwest China. Demographic information questionnaire, The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale were used for data collection. Parents’ mean PTG score was in the moderate range (M = 65.7, SD = 13.73). PTG differed regarding the participants’ sex, ethnicity, and educational background. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that positive coping ( r = 0.43, P < .01), negative coping ( r = 0.13, P < .01), and social support ( r = 0.26, P < .01) were positively correlated with PTG. Multiple regression model showed that 20.6% ( P < .001) of the variance in PTG was explained by higher positive coping (β = 0.35, P < .001), greater social support (β = 0.13, P = .01), and for cleft lip compared to cleft palate (β = −0.14, P ≤ .01), with no variance difference for cleft lip and palate. Parents of children with CL/P had moderate PTG. Potentially modifiable correlates of PTG suggest interventions to enhance parental positive coping and social support may increase PTG. Further studies are needed to confirm the PTG level and its affecting factors of parents of children with CL/P.

BackgroundCampus lockdown orders were issued for the purpose of preventing and controlling COVID-19, which resulted in psychological problems among college students. However, the experiences they have during the pandemic may also lead to positive personal changes, including posttraumatic growth (PTG). The current study examined the mediating role of belief in a just world and meaning in life in social support and PTG during the COVID-19 campus lockdown.MethodAn online survey was conducted on 1711 college students in Hebei Province, China. Based on the survey results, a structural equation model was established.ResultsSocial support positively predicted PTG. Furthermore, belief in a just world and meaning in life played a mediating role between social support and PTG respectively. Besides, social support could also predict PTG through the multiple serial mediating effect of belief in a just world and meaning in life.ConclusionThese results indicated mechanisms by which social support influenced PTG, and this provided insights into how to promote post-traumatic growth among university students in the post-pandemic period.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of perceived social support and meaning-making ability in post-traumatic growth among adults who have experienced traumatic events. Methods and Materials: The study utilized a correlational descriptive design with a sample of 392 participants from the United States, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size table. Participants were recruited through online platforms and completed standardized self-report questionnaires: the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Integration of Stressful Life Experiences Scale (ISLES). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27, with Pearson correlation coefficients calculated to examine the relationships among variables, and multiple linear regression analysis conducted to assess the predictive capacity of social support and meaning-making ability on post-traumatic growth. Findings: Descriptive results showed moderate to high levels of post-traumatic growth (M = 72.84, SD = 14.26), perceived social support (M = 60.47, SD = 11.73), and meaning-making ability (M = 61.32, SD = 10.91). Pearson correlations indicated significant positive relationships between post-traumatic growth and both social support (r = .54, p < .001) and meaning-making ability (r = .61, p < .001). Regression analysis confirmed that both predictors significantly contributed to the variance in post-traumatic growth (R² = .45, F(2, 389) = 159.22, p < .001), with meaning-making ability (β = .44) showing a slightly stronger effect than social support (β = .36). Conclusion: These results suggest that psychological interventions aimed at enhancing trauma recovery should address both cognitive and interpersonal dimensions to effectively promote positive psychological change.

Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is a form of positive psychological change that occurs for some individuals following traumatic experiences. High levels of PTG have been reported among survivors of acquired brain injury (ABI). Yet it remains unclear why some survivors of ABI develop PTG and others do not. The present study investigated early and late factors that are associated with long-term PTG in people with moderate to severe ABIs. Participants (n = 32, Mage = 50.59, SD = 12.28) completed self-report outcome measures at two time-points seven years apart (one-year and eight-years post-ABI). Outcome measures assessed emotional distress, coping, quality of life and ongoing symptoms of brain injury, as well as PTG at the later timepoint. Multiple regression analyses indicated that one-year post-ABI, fewer symptoms of depression, more symptoms of anxiety, and use of adaptive coping strategies accounted for a significant amount of variance in later PTG. At eight years post-ABI, fewer symptoms of depression, fewer ongoing symptoms of brain injury, better psychological quality of life and use of adaptive coping strategies explained a substantial amount of variance in PTG. For individuals with ABIs, PTG may be promoted by implementing long-term neuropsychological support which aims to facilitate use of adaptive coping strategies, supports psychological wellbeing and allows individuals to find meaning post-ABI.

The prevalence of mental disorders among young and middle-aged populations has demonstrated a significant upward trend, with first-episode psychosis (FEP) frequently associated with psychological distress and functional impairments during initial onset. While persons affected by FEP frequently report psychological distress and reduced quality of life during early illness stages, they may also experience post-traumatic growth (PTG), which fosters positive changes that facilitate their recovery. Yet there is limited attention on PTG in young and middle-aged patients with FEP. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the level of PTG and identify significant correlates and mediators of PTG among young and middle-aged patients with FEP. From January 2021 to December 2023, two hundred eight patients with first-episode psychosis were enrolled from a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province, China, through convenience sampling. The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGI-SF), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) were administered. Hierarchical linear regression modeling was performed to examine the associations between perceived social support and PTG and the mediating effect of resilience. The PTG score was 31.22 ± 6.59, and resilience and PSS could positively predict the variance in PTG. Resilience partially mediated the relationship between PSS and PTG, and the value of the mediating effect was 22.8%. Young and middle-aged patients with FEP have a moderate level of PTG. Resilience partially mediates the relationship between PSS and PTG. Therefore, interventions focusing on promoting PSS and resilience should be developed to encourage PTG in young and middle-aged patients with FEP.

Public health emergencies can trigger posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in adolescents. However, few studies have explored the distinct and common processes of these outcomes in adolescents from the perspective of social support during public health emergencies, and whether the mechanisms underlying these phenomena are unique or shared remains unclear. This study examined how social support relates to PTSD and PTG, with empathy, positive coping, and negative coping as mediators. A cross-sectional study using self-report questionnaires collected data from 921 Chinese junior middle school students. The results showed that social support was directly negatively associated with PTSD and positively associated with PTG. Social support was negatively associated with PTSD via positive coping styles (PCSs), negative coping styles (NCSs), and through a two-step path from empathy to PCSs. Social support was negatively associated with PTG via NCSs, and positively associated with PTG via empathy, PCSs, and through a two-step path from empathy to PCSs. Findings suggest partly distinct pathways linking social support to PTSD and PTG: empathy was related to PTG but not PTSD, PCSs functioned as a shared pathway, and NCSs showed a double-edged pattern. Parents and teachers should foster adolescents' empathy and PCSs to promote healthy psychological development after public health emergencies.

BackgroundDespite the substantial burden of caring schizophrenic patients, primary caregivers can also experience posttraumatic growth (PTG) which may buffer their negative experience. Influencing factors of PTG and their functional pathways among primary caregivers of schizophrenic patients remain unclear. This study is designed to test the simple and serial mediating roles of coping styles and resilience in the relationship between perceived social support and PTG among those primary caregivers.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to January 2019, and 365 primary caregivers (self-reported) of schizophrenic patients were analyzed. Measures used to assess their perceived social support, coping styles, resilience, and PTG were the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to run the analysis.ResultsThe average scores of PTG (range: 0–5), perceived social support (range: 1–7), positive coping style (range: 0–3), negative coping style (range: 0–3), resilience (range: 0–4) reported by primary caregivers was (2.91 ± 0.99), (4.80 ± 1.26), (1.79 ± 0.65), (1.49 ± 0.56), and (2.46 ± 0.66), respectively. The fitness indices of measurement and structural models were satisfactory. Three indirect pathways totally explained 55.56% variance of the PTG. The indirect effect of positive coping style between perceived social support and PTG was 0.20 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05 to 0.37], and this simple mediation pathway explained 27.78% variance of PTG. The indirect effect of resilience between perceived social support and PTG was 0.11 [95% CI 0.01 to 0.20], and this simple mediation pathway explained 15.28% variance of PTG. The indirect effect of positive coping style and then resilience between perceived social support and PTG was 0.09 [95% CI 0.01 to 0.17], and this serial mediation pathway explained 12.50% variance of PTG.ConclusionsBoth simple and serial mediation roles of positive coping style and resilience are established in the relationship between perceived social support and PTG among primary caregivers of schizophrenic patients. Positive coping style and resilience are two important targets for future interventional studies, and interventions on them may bring the synergistic effect on improving PTG.

ABSTRACTBackground and objective: Although posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) can co-exist, and several theories suggest that social support, self-esteem, and hope can predict both PTSD and PTG, no study to date has examined the combined role of social support, self-esteem, and hope in PTSD and PTG. The present study aimed to simultaneously examine the mediating roles of self-esteem and hope in the relations between social support and PTSD, and between social support and PTG.Design: This study included 397 adolescents living in Lushan County, China, who were affected by the Ya’an earthquake.Method: The participants completed the self-report questionnaires at two and a half years after the earthquake. Structural equation models were built to examine the roles of social support, self-esteem, and hope in PTSD and PTG.Results: Social support directly and negatively predicted PTSD and positively predicted PTG. Moreover, social support negatively predicted PTSD via self-esteem, and positively predicted PTG via hope. In addition, social support positively predicted PTG through multiple mediating paths from self-esteem to hope.Conclusions: PTSD and PTG had different predictive paths. Specifically, social support reduced PTSD through enhanced self-esteem and promoted PTG through hope, or through the path from self-esteem to hope.

This research was designed to explore whether hope and posttraumatic growth (PTG) played a mediating role between social support and psychological distress in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 502 lung cancer patients. From September 2023 to April 2024, participants were recruited via convenience sampling from one tertiary cancer hospital and two tertiary general hospitals in Chongqing, China. Patients completed questionnaires on demographics, medical information, Distress thermometer, Perceived Social Support Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and Herth Hope Index. Statistical analyses included Pearson's chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test for differences in patient characteristics by psychological distress level. Pearson correlation analysis explored relationships among variables. Bootstrapping in structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluated structural paths, and multi-group SEM analysis tested the moderating effect of gender. 43.6% (219/502) of lung cancer patients experience psychological distress. After controlling for cancer stage and distant metastasis, the results suggested that social support had a negative direct effect on psychological distress. In addition, social support could also influence psychological distress via three pathways: (1) the mediating effect of hope, (2) the mediating effect of PTG, and (3) the serial mediating effect of hope and PTG. The indirect effect of the three intermediary paths accounted for 72.7% of the total effect. Gender moderated the effect of social support on PTG (β = -0.286, P = 0.001). This study found that lung cancer patients exhibit high levels of psychological distress. Social support directly impacts psychological distress and acts through multiple pathways: the mediating effects of hope and PTG, as well as their serial mediation. These findings deepen our understanding of how social support affects psychological distress in lung cancer patients and its underlying mechanisms, providing empirical support for developing interventions to alleviate distress.