Psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth in adolescent survivors of earthquake: A 10-year cohort study

Abstract

This 10-year cohort study explored whether individual differences in resilience during early stages post-earthquake could have diverse impacts on future PTG and whether the impacts varied by sex. 1357 Chinese adolescent survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake were assessed on their resilience at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months post-earthquake. 799 participants responded to an online survey 10 years later, and 744 of which provided useable data for subsequent analysis. Resilience trajectories were modeled using the latent class growth analysis. Linear regressions were used to test the predictive effects of different resilience trajectories on subsequent PTG. Of 744 samples (Mage=15.44, SD = 0.66 at baseline), 59.1% were females. Three trajectories of resilience were identified, including low resilience (19.8%), moderate resilience (58.7%), and high resilience (21.5%). Highly resilient participants reported greater PTG 10 years later (β = 0.12, 95%CI 0.60–6.08) after adjusting for demographic variables, earthquake exposure, negative life events, and mental health problems. Moreover, the same findings only existed in males (β = 0.22, 95%CI 1.26–11.01). Our findings highlight the importance of classifying survivors by resilience trajectories in order to better account for different implications on future PTG. Moreover, sex-specific programs are needed to provide tailored intervention.