TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 pandemic-related posttraumatic growth in a small cohort of university students
T2 - A 1-year longitudinal study
AU - Van der Hallen, Ruth
AU - Godor, Brian P.
N1 - Funding Information:
None.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/6/1
Y1 - 2022/6/1
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of life, with severe potential consequences for people's mental health. Posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive psychological change that may develop following a traumatic event, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic has only received little attention. The current study aimed to investigate (1) the prevalence of PTG within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) which psychological aspects predict COVID-19 pandemic-related PTG using a 1-year longitudinal design. A sample of 70 participants completed a survey on COVID-19, posttraumatic stress, emotional well-being, coping styles, determinates of resilience, and PTG at both T1, May 2020, and T2, May 2021. Results reveal moderate levels of PTG for about one in five participants at both T1 and T2 (21% and 23%, respectively). Moreover, PTG at T1 and T2 were moderate to strongly, positively correlated, r = 0.62. Posttraumatic stress and social support were found to positively predict PTG at T1, while positive affect and social skills were found to positively predict PTG at both T1 and T2, βs = 0.22–.52. Implications of the current findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of life, with severe potential consequences for people's mental health. Posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive psychological change that may develop following a traumatic event, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic has only received little attention. The current study aimed to investigate (1) the prevalence of PTG within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) which psychological aspects predict COVID-19 pandemic-related PTG using a 1-year longitudinal design. A sample of 70 participants completed a survey on COVID-19, posttraumatic stress, emotional well-being, coping styles, determinates of resilience, and PTG at both T1, May 2020, and T2, May 2021. Results reveal moderate levels of PTG for about one in five participants at both T1 and T2 (21% and 23%, respectively). Moreover, PTG at T1 and T2 were moderate to strongly, positively correlated, r = 0.62. Posttraumatic stress and social support were found to positively predict PTG at T1, while positive affect and social skills were found to positively predict PTG at both T1 and T2, βs = 0.22–.52. Implications of the current findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127934007&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114541
DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114541
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85127934007
VL - 312
JO - Psychiatry Research
JF - Psychiatry Research
SN - 0165-1781
M1 - 114541
ER -
