The Impact of Intrusive Rumination on College Students’ Creativity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effect of Post-traumatic Growth and the Moderating Role of Psychological Resilience

Contribution of rumination and psychological resilience to post-traumatic growth of front-line healthcare workers in mobile cabin hospitals under Normalized epidemic Prevention and Control Requirements

To understand the level of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and influencing factors among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs) working in mobile cabin hospitals treating patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) under the Normalized Epidemic Prevention and Control Requirements adopted in China. A random sampling method was used to select 540 HCWs of the Chongqing-aid-Shanghai medical team from April to May 2022 as the study participants. Participants completed a general information questionnaire, the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese version (PTGI-C), the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Chinese Event Related Rumination Inventory (C-ERRI). Among the 540 included HCWs, 83.15 % were nurses and 78.89 % were women. The average scores for PTG (62.25 ± 16.73) and psychological resilience (64.22 ± 15.38) were at moderate levels, and the average score for rumination was low (21.62 ± 10.77). Pearson correlation analysis showed that CD-RISC and C-ERRI scores were positive with the PTGI-C score (r = 0.528, 0.316, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis identified psychological training or intervention during the COVID-19 epidemic (β = 2.353, P = 0.044), psychological resilience (β = 0.525, P < 0.001) and deliberate rumination (β = 0.732, P < 0.001) as factors significantly associated with the PTG of front-line HCWs, which together explained 36.8 % of the total variance in PTG (F[5,539] = 63.866, P < 0.001). In general, psychological resilience and deliberate rumination can promote PTG among HCWs and can be improved by strengthening psychological training and interventions for HCWs working under the Normalized Epidemic Prevention and Control Requirements.

The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the mental health of Italian people after 2 years of the pandemic: risk and protective factors as moderators

Objective

This contribution aimed at investigating the moderating role of risk (e.g., the negative influence of COVID-19 on mental health) and protective (e.g., post-traumatic growth) factors on the relationship between the concern for war and stress and anxiety/depression levels among Italian people.

Methods

A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and questions formulated ad hoc about concern for war was administered online. A sample of 755 participants (65.4% females, mean age = 32.39, SD = 12.64, range = 18-75) was recruited by convenience and snowball sampling. The researchers spread the link to the questionnaire to their acquaintances asking them to fill it out and to recruit other people.

Results

Results showed that concern for war significantly augmented the levels of stress and anxiety/depression in Italian people. Being a healthcare professional or having a chronic illness negatively moderated the effect of concern for war on stress and anxiety/depression. Instead, the negative influence of COVID-19 on mental health positively moderated the effect of concern for war on stress. Moreover, the overall positive changes after trauma and four of its five scales (i.e., Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and Spiritual Change), negatively moderated the effect of concern for war on anxiety/depression.

Conclusions

In conclusion, concern about the Russian-Ukrainian war affects the mental health of the Italian population even if they are not directly involved in the conflict.

The effect of the social support on PTSD and PTG about university student volunteers in the prevention and controlling of coronavirus: with coping style as the intermediary

To investigate the relationship among post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic growth (PTG), social support, and coping style of university student volunteers in the prevention and control of the coronavirus in 2020, a total of 2,990 university student volunteers (students who are enrolled in a university and involved in volunteer activities) from 20 universities in Sichuan Province participated in the prevention and control of the epidemic were investigated when March 20-31, 2020 when the coronavirus first occurred using the post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire, posttraumatic growth questionnaire, university student social support questionnaire and coping style questionnaire. The results showed that (1) 7.06% of university student volunteers had some degree of PTSD symptoms (the total PCL-C score was 38-49), and 2.88% had obvious PTSD symptoms, (2) PTSD level of university student volunteers was significantly positively correlated with negative coping style, and significantly negatively correlated with social support and positive coping style; on the contrary, the PTG level is significantly positively correlated with social support and positive coping styles, and (3) Positive coping style plays a partial mediating role in the influence of social support on PTG; in the influence of social support on PTSD, the mediating effect of positive or negative coping style was not significant. These results show that in the prevention and control of the coronavirus, the positive coping style and social support of university student volunteers can positively predict the PTG level of them, while the negative coping style can positively predict the severity of their PTSD symptoms. Among them, a positive coping style plays a partial mediating role in the influence of social support on the PTG level.

The influence of childhood maltreatment on trait depression in patients with major depressive disorder: A moderated mediation model of rumination and mindful attention awareness

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Individuals who were exposed to childhood maltreatment might be an especially vulnerable group and were more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for depression than those who were not. Trait depression refers to a personality trait predisposition to depression, expressed as the frequency of symptoms rather than a transient depressive mood state. Clarifying the relationship between childhood maltreatment and trait depression in patients with MDD has therefore become an important field of research. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), State-Trait Depression Scale (ST-DEP), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) were used as research instruments. SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis and examined the moderated mediation models. A total of 288 patients with MDD were included in this study. After standardization of the variables, the model revealed childhood maltreatment was positively associated with trait depression (β = 0.215, p < 0.001) and that rumination partially mediated the effect between childhood trauma and trait depression. Mindfulness moderated the association between rumination and trait depression in depressed patients (β = 0.171, p < 0.001). Simple slope tests showed that rumination significantly predicted trait depression in patients with high levels of mindfulness (bsimple = 0.460, p < 0.001, 95%CI = [0.339, 0.581]), while this predictive effect was not significant in patients with low levels (bsimple = 0.119, p = 0.097, 95%CI = [-0.022, 0.261]). After adding mediating variables, we found that the negative impact of childhood maltreatment on trait depression was both directly and indirectly through the patients' own ruminative levels. However, mindfulness performed a critical moderating role in the overall mediating model, aggravating the negative impact of childhood maltreatment on trait depression. There are several limitations in this study: the history of childhood maltreatment was reviewed and reported; the MAAS was a single-dimensional questionnaire that fails to measure the content of other mindfulness factors; cross-sectional data could not be used to infer the causal relationship between variables.

Relationship between World Assumptions and Post-Traumatic Growth among Polish Cancer Patients: Moderating Effect of Rumination

BACKGROUND

Although post-traumatic growth is believed to be the result of complex interplays between various factors, cognitive variables appear to play a special role in these interactions. Yet, research on this topic is scant. Therefore, the first purpose of this study was to verify whether there is a direct relationship between world assumptions and post-traumatic growth among Polish cancer patients. As the effect of psychological change in post-traumatic growth may be affected by basic beliefs about the world and oneself, the second goal was to assess whether this association is moderated by rumination.

METHODS

The study included 215 Polish cancer patients. The Post-traumatic Growth and Depreciation Inventory-Expanded version-(intrusive and deliberate rumination), the World Assumption Scale, and the Event-related Rumination Inventory were applied.

RESULTS

Positive, albeit weak, correlations were found between the dimensions of world assumptions and post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth correlated negatively with intrusive rumination and positively with deliberate rumination. The outcomes show that the level of post-traumatic growth resulting from world assumptions is significantly different at various levels of intrusive and deliberate rumination.

CONCLUSION

Lower/medium intrusive rumination seems to strengthen the relationship between benevolence of the world/worthiness of the self and post-traumatic growth, and higher deliberate rumination tends to reinforce the relationship between meaningfulness and post-traumatic growth.

A scoping review and evaluation of instruments used to measure resilience among post-secondary students

As mental health problems continue to increase among post-secondary populations, the need to develop effective initiatives designed to bolster students’ resilience has increasingly been identified as a priority. Therefore, access to valid tools with which to measure the efficacy of these interventions is imperative. To date, a comprehensive assessment of existing instruments used to evaluate the construct of resilience among post-secondary student populations has not been conducted. The purpose of this study was to fill this gap by conducting a scoping review of literature detailing the use of resilience instruments and evaluating their quality based on suitability for use in the post-secondary setting and associated psychometric evidence. We identified a total of 78 records published between 2010 and 2022, extracting a total of 12 instruments. Using detailed criteria frameworks, each instrument was assessed in terms of suitability and quality of associated psychometric evidence for validity and reliability. The results of our study suggest that many of the instruments currently being used to assess resilience among post-secondary students may not be appropriate. The majority of the instruments included in our review were developed for use among general adult populations and not specifically designed for use in the post-secondary setting. Most instruments did not assess resilience in a comprehensive, holistic matter that addressed the ability to bounce back from adversity by drawing upon psychological, social, cultural, and environmental resources, as defined by recent research. Further, no instruments included in our review had published evidence in support of a complete psychometric analysis. The results of our evaluation suggest that the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) is the most suitable instrument for measuring resilience among post-secondary populations due to its suitability, comprehensive assessment of the construct of resilience, and demonstrably strong psychometric properties for both the 25- and 10-item versions of the tool.

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There is a need for access to valid and appropriate tools with which to measure post-secondary students’ resilience.

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We identified a total of 12 instruments evaluating resilience among post-secondary student populations.

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The majority of the instruments were not designed for use in the post-secondary setting and were not comprehensive· We recommend the CD-RISC as the most suitable.

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We recommend the CD-RISC as the most suitable instrument for measuring resilience among post-secondary students.

Negative emotions and creativity among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of posttraumatic growth

Background

The aim of the study was to use a moderated mediation model to understand and examine the relationship between negative emotions and creativity among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, using psychological resilience as a mediator and posttraumatic growth as a moderator.

Methods

A sample of 881 college students in mainland China completed a self-report questionnaire that included four scales: the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, Runco Ideational Behavior Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory.

Results

Findings indicated that:(1) negative emotions were a strong predictor of creativity; (2) psychological resilience partially mediated the association between negative emotions and creativity; and (3) posttraumatic growth moderated the positive effect of psychological resilience, such that the indirect effect between negative emotions and creativity via psychological resilience was stronger for someone with a low level of resilience.

Conclusion

The findings further clarify the mechanisms that affect the relationship between negative emotions and creativity among college students.

The relationship between childhood trauma and post-traumatic growth among college students: The role of acceptance and positive reappraisal

Objective

To examine the relationship among childhood trauma, acceptance, positive reappraisal and post-traumatic growth (PTG) among college students.

Methods

Research participants were selected by random cluster sampling. 1,028 college students (62.6% female, 30.5% only-children) from 8 universities were investigated using manuscript-pencil survey versions of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire–Chinese version (CERQ-C) and Post traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI).

Results

Traumatic childhood experience significantly negatively predicts post traumatic growth in college students. Exposure to traumatic experiences in childhood can directly negatively predict post-traumatic growth and indirectly positively predict post traumatic growth via acceptance.

Conclusion

Acceptance plays a mediating role between childhood traumatic experience and post traumatic growth. The mediating effect of acceptance is moderated by the positive reappraisal. When individuals have a lower level of positive reappraisal, the mediating effect between traumatic experience and post traumatic growth is significant. Several clinical implications for clinical psychology and psychological intervention are highlighted. Starting with changing individual cognition and helping individuals adopt positive cognitive emotion regulation strategies can help individuals actively reevaluate traumatic experience, so as to gain better and faster counseling results.

Post-traumatic growth of people who have experienced earthquakes: Qualitative research systematic literature review

Introduction

Earthquakes can have a variety of physical, emotional, and social effects on the people who experience them. Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) results from people attempting to reconstruct their lives after experiencing a traumatic event. We intend to inform the local community of the importance of disaster psychology by identifying and analyzing the literature on post-traumatic growth experiences of subjects who experienced earthquakes.

Methods

This study applied a systematic review of qualitative research published from January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2021 to understand PTG in people who have experienced earthquakes. The search expressions "Post-traumatic Growth", "Earthquake", "Qualitative" were applied to CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycInfo, KISS, RISS, and NDSL databases. Initially, 720 papers were found; after removal of duplicates, 318 remained. After a review of titles and abstracts, 186 papers that did not meet the selection criteria of this study were removed. After a further examination of the remaining 132 papers, the researchers removed 65 papers that did not match the research topic. Lastly, of the remaining 67 papers, detailed review eliminated quantitative papers that did not match this study (25), articles that were not original (19), articles in which results were not PTG (8), articles that were not related to this study (3), articles that were not written in English (2), or articles that had mixed topics (2). Eight papers remained.

Results

The results of this study show that the PTG in people who have experienced earthquakes can be classified into three categories: "Change in self-perception", "Change of interpersonal relationships", and "Spiritual change". They can be further classified into eight subcategories: "Reviewing one's existence", "Acceptance", "Discovering strengths by working through adversity", "Gratitude for life", "Changes in personal relations", "Changes in social relations", "Accepting the existence of God", and "A breakthrough to overcome difficulties".

Discussion

These results can be used as basic data for a positive psychological understanding for those who have experienced earthquake trauma.