Growth-Related Responses to the Threat of COVID-19 among Adolescents

Abstract

The main objective of our study was to determine whether the experience of the types of pandemic threats included in the study, could activate development responses among adolescents and what the role of the level of stress experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic is in the process of post-traumatic PTG growth. We also made an attempt to investigate whether personality traits and gender were predictors of PTG growth in adolescents. Therefore, the theoretical bases for the interpretation of the obtained results are models of post-traumatic growth (PTG), mainly by Calhoun and Tedeschi. The research was conducted in March 2020. The study subjects were 405 adolescents aged 14 to 20 years, with an average age of 17 years, of whom 59% were females and 41% were males. The following methods were used in the study: IPIP-BFM-20 to estimate five personality traits, PSS- to diagnose perceived stress, and an in-house questionnaire of pandemic threats experienced by adolescents (KŻP). The results showed that the various types of ‘pandemic’ threats (threats to life, family, and lifestyle) are positive predictors of growth-related changes; additionally, such factors as personality traits (here: extroversion), stress level, and gender had a positive mediating effect on growth-related changes. It was also possible to show that out of the four dimensions of post-traumatic growth, three could be activated under pandemic conditions. These were: changes in relationships with others, greater appreciation of everyday life, and spiritual changes. Changes in self-perception—one of the dimensions of post-traumatic growth, were not activated due to experiencing three types of pandemic threats.

The impact of family function on post-traumatic reactions of Chinese adolescents infected with COVID-19: a latent profile study

“…Third, this study explored the relationship between adolescent family function and post-traumatic reactions experience post-COVID-19. Family function is dynamic and is affected by its development stage and specific life events, so the impact of family and individual previous experiences on post-traumatic reactions needs to be further explored ( 79 , 80 ).…”