Post-Traumatic Growth during COVID-19: The Role of Perceived Social Support, Personality, and Coping Strategies.

Chu-Si Xie,Yunhwan Kim

doi:10.3390/healthcare10020224

Abstract

Although many studies on mental health have been conducted among various populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies have focused on post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the general population. The current study aimed to explore whether perceived social support, personality, and coping strategies are associated with PTG in the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study also investigated whether coping strategies mediate the relations between perceived social support, personality, and PTG. A total of 181 participants (Mage = 24) completed the self-report questionnaire online, which was distributed via various online channels, mainly in China and Sweden. The relations between the study variables were examined with correlation analyses and a multiple mediation analysis. Results showed that more than half of the participants (60.8%) reported experiences of PTG during the pandemic. Additionally, perceived social support, personality traits (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and coping strategies (problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and social support coping) were positively correlated with PTG. In addition, coping strategies (problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and avoidance coping) mediated the relations between perceived social support, personality traits and PTG. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed, concluding that the findings of this study have the potential to guide intervention efforts to promote positive change during the pandemic.

Highlights

Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, its adverse consequences on mental health have been increasingly elaborated on [1,2]
A meta-analysis indicated that 50–60% of people exposed to potentially traumatic events are likely to experience some degree of post-traumatic growth (PTG) [7], which leaves a possibility that PTG might have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic
A total of 84.0% of the participants reported living with others, and more than half of the participants reported living in China (61.3%) during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by 22.1% living in Sweden

Summary

Introduction

Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, its adverse consequences on mental health have been increasingly elaborated on [1,2]. Research has recently started paying attention to positive aspects of pandemic experiences [3], still little is known about the pandemic’s potential positive psychological outcomes and to what extent and how this may trigger post-traumatic growth (PTG) [4]. A meta-analysis indicated that 50–60% of people exposed to potentially traumatic events are likely to experience some degree of PTG [7], which leaves a possibility that PTG might have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study examined factors that might influence PTG during the context of COVID-19, including situational characteristics (social support) and personal characteristics (personality traits and coping strategies). Identifying predictors and mechanisms of PTG is imperative to safeguarding people from the harmful effects of COVID-19 and promote PTG

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion