The mediating role of personal values between COVID-19-related posttraumatic growth and life satisfaction among Chinese college students: A two-wave longitudinal study

Abstract

Despite considerable disruption of social order caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also been said to contribute to positive psychological changes and influence on the perception of public life satisfaction. The present study aimed to explore the association between the COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth and life satisfaction and the mediating role of personal values. A two-wave longitudinal design was used. 226 self-quarantined Chinese college students (58.8% male) completed post traumatic growth inventory (Time 1), satisfaction with life scale (Time 2), personal values questionnaire (Time 2) between February 2020 and May 2021. Results showed that more than half of self-quarantined Chinese college students reported moderate to high levels of the COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth. A structural equation model revealed that COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth was positively associated to life satisfaction, and self-transcendence and self-enhancement values partially mediated this association. These findings shed light on whether and how pandemic-related posttraumatic growth influenced personal life satisfaction, supporting the outcome and process perspectives of posttraumatic growth as well as Schwartz’s value theory. Based on the findings, some positive psychology interventions, such as online rumination activities and mindfulness practice, were proposed to enhance self-quarantined college students’ posttraumatic growth and life satisfaction.

Meaning-making while staying connected matters in psychological adaptation during pandemic: a longitudinal moderated mediation study

“…With regards to COVID-19, a similar pattern of differential relationship between two types of event-related rumination and adaptational outcomes also emerged ( Cui et al, 2021 ; Hyun et al, 2021 ; Ikizer et al, 2021 ; Kang and Kim, 2021 ; Zeng et al, 2021 ; Wall et al, 2022 ; Xie et al, 2022 ). Overall, these studies indicate that the extent to which individuals engage in IR and/or DR could explain individual differences in adaptation during a pandemic, as in other cases of adversity.…”

Factors Associated with Post-Traumatic Growth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Also, in Northfield and Johnston’s study [ 55 ], although ethnicity was not a significant predictor of PTG, a group difference was evident between African American and Caucasian participants, with African American participants reporting higher levels. Considering age and sex/gender, no significant differences in relation to PTG were reported in some studies investigating these variables [ 37 , 40 , 46 , 49 , 50 , 59 , 62 , 63 ]. In contrast, in the study by Celdrán et al [ 38 ] and Fino et al [ 42 ], women reported higher levels of growth, but of all the sociodemographic variables considered in the study by Celdrán et al [ 38 ], only younger age significantly correlated with higher PTG, and the same was found in the study by Northfield and Johnston [ 55 ]; by contrast, in the study by Na et al [ 54 ], being female was associated with pandemic growth.…”

“…Regarding other personality traits, the study by Casali et al [ 37 ] revealed that out of the six character-related virtues (wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity justice, temperance, and transcendence), only humanity was significantly associated with PTG. Optimism and self-compassion [ 39 ], self-transcendence [ 63 ], agreeableness [ 54 , 62 ], self-esteem [ 64 ], and sense of coherence [ 50 ] were also associated with higher levels of PTG. Other personality traits associated with PTG were extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability [ 62 ].…”

Transcending the Self to Transcend Suffering

“…In this manner, the endurance of personal suffering would be made possible via dedication to these three domains beyond the self (Wong et al, 2021). Empirical study has affirmed that self-transcendent values and experiences bear positive associations with diminished depressive symptoms, improved emotional wellbeing, and post-traumatic growth (Bojanowska & Kaczmarek, 2018;Monroy & Keltner, 2022;Xie et al, 2022).…”