Understanding the relationship between traumatic suffering, posttraumatic growth, and prosocial variables

Participants' experiences of a counsellor-supported PTSD Coach intervention in a resource-constrained setting

We explored participants' experiences of a counsellor-supported PTSD Coach mobile application intervention (PTSD Coach-CS) in a randomised controlled trial. PTSD Coach-CS participants, who received the intervention and self-completed a custom-designed questionnaire at intervention completion were included (n = 25; female = 20; ages 19-59; isiXhosa = 22). This questionnaire comprised questions regarding the feasibility, acceptability and potential impact of the PTSD Coach-CS intervention, and general psychological support in our setting. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged. (i) Participants' largely positive experiences of treatment procedures included the safe space created by the counsellor support in combination with the PTSD Coach application, allowing them to learn about and understand their lived experiences, and to accept their PTSD diagnoses. (ii) Positive perceptions of the PTSD Coach application, yet raising important concerns (e.g., lack of family involvement) for future consideration. (iii) Intervention-specific and systemic treatment barriers (e.g., stigma) providing important information to inform and increase the usefulness of the PTSD Coach-CS intervention. The findings suggest that the PTSD Coach-CS intervention may help address the need for access to suitable care for South African adults with PTSD. Some contextual barriers must be considered in further intervention implementation.

General Practitioners' Own Traumatic Experiences and Their Skills in Addressing Patients' Past History of Adversities: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal

Addressing trauma has been found to be important for primary care patients, as it can improve their health-related outcomes. We aimed to assess how Portuguese general practitioners' (GPs) past history of traumatic events (TEs) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) influence their clinical communication skills when addressing their patients' past history of adversities. An online survey was circulated by email to GPs' associations and through GPs' social media groups. A sample of 143 GPs participated in this study. GPs' exposure to ACEs and TEs was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and the Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5. To evaluate clinical communication skills, we adapted the Self-confidence Scale and used the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. GPs identified barriers to addressing trauma routinely, including a lack of time (86.7%) and a fear of causing further patient suffering (56.6%). GPs' exposure to TEs and ACEs was positively correlated with scores in some dimensions of self-confidence and empathy (r values varying from 0.170 to 0.247). GPs exposed to traumatic experiences felt more confident when addressing their patients' adversities and were more empathic when conducting therapeutic relationships. This study shows that GPs with a history of traumatic experiences are able to address their patients' adversities; however, they lack proper training and better patient care conditions, such as more time and more resources available for patient guidance.

How Parental Support Affects Latina Girls During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract. The current study focuses on a sample of low- to middle-income school-age Latina girls and their parents and examines how children’s distress proneness interacts with parental empathic accuracy and posttraumatic growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to predict children’s empathy and prosocial behavior toward unknown others. Approximately 2–3 months into state-mandated stay-at-home orders, 55 parent–daughter dyads were recruited to participate in this four-session longitudinal study. To assess distress proneness, daughters (ages 8–13 years, 100% Latina) identified their degree of distress in response to pandemic-related stressors. Concurrently, their parents reported how they thought their children would respond to these same pandemic-related stressors, which assessed parental empathic accuracy. Parents also completed an adapted version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, which assessed perceived positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon study completion, a behavioral measure of children’s empathic and prosocial behaviors was collected. Parental empathic accuracy interacted with children’s distress proneness to positively predict children’s affective empathy, such that children’s distress proneness predicted affective empathy at high and mean, but not low, levels of parental empathic accuracy. In a separate analysis, parental posttraumatic growth interacted with children’s distress proneness to positively predict children’s altruistic sharing behavior, such that children’s distress proneness predicted altruistic sharing behavior only at high, but not mean or low, levels of parental posttraumatic growth. The results of this study highlight how positive parental socialization and understanding of children’s tendencies toward distress are associated with children’s empathic and prosocial behaviors, particularly during major global crises.

The examination of stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth in the patients diagnosed with Covid-19

OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 infection can profoundly affect patients' lives. Coping with difficult life crises can also lead to increased stress or positive psychological change called post-traumatic growth. This research was conducted to examine the symptoms of stress and post-traumatic growth symptoms in the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

METHOD

The present study, which is in a descriptive design, was conducted with 175 patients who were discharged after being treated in the intensive care units with the diagnosis of COVID-19. The personal information form, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PTDS), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were used to collect data.

RESULTS

The mean score for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms of the participants was 19.18 ± 9.53, and the mean score for Posttraumatic Growth Inventory was 0.86 ± 0.47. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between PTDS and PTGI mean scores (p < 0.001). As the degree of being affected by covid 19 increases, posttraumatic growth and traumatic stress symptom levels increase (p < 0.05). The posttraumatic growth levels increase as the time elapsed after the treatment of COVID-19 increases (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

It was determined that after the traumatic experience (COVID-19), the participants had moderate traumatic stress symptoms, and they overcame this situation by experiencing growth. It is recommended to take preventive measures against the symptoms of stress and support the patients in terms of overcoming this process by getting stronger.

Empathy and Post-Traumatic Growth among Chinese Community Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Roles of Self-Disclosure and Social Support

Given the prolonged nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term psychological impacts, this study aimed to explore how empathy leads to post-traumatic growth (PTG) among Chinese community workers. Guided by the revised PTG model, this study identified the relation between empathy and PTG using a multiple mediation model that included self-disclosure and social support as hypothesized mediators. This study utilized data from 414 Chinese adults aged 20 years or older who completed an online survey during the pandemic. Self-disclosure and social support were measured as mediating variables. The study variables were positively correlated with PTG. Empathy was positively correlated with self-disclosure and social support. After controlling for demographic covariates, the results indicated that self-disclosure and social support mediated the link between empathy and PTG in both parallel and sequential fashion. Empathy, self-disclosure, and social support played important roles in the growth of Chinese community workers. The present findings have been useful in increasing our understanding, policy programs, and interventions by governments or regional bodies to ameliorate community workers' PTG.

Do stressful life events impact long-term well-being? Annual change in well-being following different life events compared to matched controls

Available longitudinal evidence suggests that personal growth following adversity may not be as prevalent as suggested in cross-sectional research. Firm conclusions regarding resiliency versus post-traumatic growth following adverse events are further tempered by the restricted range of outcomes assessed when examining resilience, the focus on specific adverse events or cumulative adversity scores that hinder comparisons between event types, and the relative scarcity of analyses including matched control groups. The current study addresses these gaps by leveraging longitudinal panel data comparing annual change in well-being from 2018 to 2019 for people who experienced a major life stressor relative to propensity score matched controls who did not experience such stressors over the same period. Moreover, independent comparisons are conducted across three distinct event categories: traumatic interpersonal events (N matched pairs = 1,030), job loss (N matched pairs = 1,361), and birth (N matched pairs = 1,225), and five self-reported well-being indicators: life satisfaction, felt belongingness, self-esteem, meaning in life, and gratitude. Results indicate that people's well-being (across all five indicators) remained consistent over the year in independent analyses of samples experiencing each of the three types of events, and did not differ from matched controls. These findings indicate high population levels of psychological resilience, in the sense that people did not decrease in annual well-being following various life events. These findings also fail to detect significant evidence for possible post-traumatic growth, insofar as such growth might relate to a broad range of different aspects of well-being.

Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Prevalence Among First Aiders

Introduction

First aiders are commonly exposed to different forms of traumatic event (TE) during their duties, such as Chronic Indirect Vicarious Exposure which refers to an indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma (APA, 2013). If the psychopathological impact of TE is well documented, the mental health of first aiders remains neglected. Therefore, our main objectives are (i) to study the link between exposure to traumatic events and psychopathological outcomes and (ii) to quantify the rates of mental health disorders among first aiders.

Method

Our sample comprised of 53 volunteer first aiders (21 females and 32 males) with an average age of 32.4 years (SD = 13.6 years). Traumatic event exposure and mental health were assessed through a set of validated questionnaires completed online.

Results

Rates of mental health outcomes were higher than within the general population. Females showed higher scores of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than males. PTSD scores were significantly correlated with all mental issues scores, apart from tobacco use and eating disorders scores. There was a significant correlation between the number of traumatic events and the years of experience. Exposure to traumatic events only correlated with nicotine dependency. No other correlation reaches statistical significance.

Discussion

The scores of all mental health outcomes were high; a surprising result, as volunteer first aiders are thought to be recruited for their strong dispositional cognitive and emotional abilities. The high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout, along with the prevalent anxiety and depression, highlight the need for greater psychosocial support. Resilience training and peer support would be useful interventions in this group.

How Communication Technology Fosters Individual and Social Wellbeing During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Support For a Digital Interaction Model

The aim of the present study was to test an explanatory model for individual and social wellbeing which incorporates the advantages of using digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out in Italy, one of the countries that has been most severely affected by the pandemic worldwide. The study was designed to include variables that might be specifically pertinent to the uniqueness of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Adults living in Italy (n = 1412) completed an online survey during the lockdown period in March 2020. Results showed two distinct digital interaction processes highlighted by the facilitating use of online emotions ("e-motions") and online social support ("e-support"). In short, e-motions were positively related to posttraumatic growth, which in turn was positively associated with positive mental health and higher engagement in prosocial behaviors. Moreover, individuals who perceived themselves as having greater e-support were characterized by higher levels of positive mental health, which it turn was positively associated with prosocial behaviors. Collectively, these two digital interaction processes suggest that digital technologies appear to be critical resources in helping individuals cope with difficulties raised by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived Characteristics of Life Events—Short-Term Changes in Prosociality and Empathy?

Post-traumatic growth can be understood as positive change in desirable personality traits after adverse life events. However, recent research questioned whether adversity is a relevant, necessary, and sufficient condition for change in desirable personality traits. Using five-wave longitudinal data, this study explored changes in the desirable personality traits prosociality and empathy before and after life events. We included all life events participants had experienced between the second and third assessment, that is, adverse, ambiguous, and positive events. Participants rated their life events on the Event Characteristics Questionnaire which assesses the individual perception of life events on nine continuous dimensions: challenge, emotional significance, extraordinariness, external control, impact, valence, social status change, predictability, and change in world views. We used multilevel growth curve models to explore changes in prosociality and empathy as a function of these event characteristics. Prosociality and empathy remained stable in the assessment period of 6 to 9 months after the reported life event, independently of whether the event had been perceived as adverse or not. We discuss our findings with respect to the inclusion of positive and ambiguous events as predictors of personality change and with respect to its theoretical implications for post-traumatic growth and personality development more broadly.

Caregivers' psychological suffering and posttraumatic growth after patient death

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the association between caregivers' psychological suffering and posttraumatic growth (PTG) after patient death.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants were a total of 254 caregivers, including nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, and care workers.

FINDINGS

Higher psychological suffering, in terms of expanding self-consciousness, change of values, and spiritual sublimation, had a positive correlation with PTG. For nurses and nursing assistants, the change of values and spiritual sublimation had a positive correlation with PTG. For social workers, the higher self-consciousness was associated with greater PTG. For care workers, the expanded self-consciousness and lower helplessness had a positive correlation with PTG.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

These findings will serve as a basis for the development of supportive programs to assist caregivers in improving PTG after patient death.

Post-traumatic growth and influencing factors among frontline nurses fighting against COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

To explore the level and influencing factors of frontline nurses' post-traumatic growth (PTG) during COVID-19 epidemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in February 2020 in three hospitals in China. The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) was used to investigate the PTG of frontline nurses. Data on related factors, including demographic characteristics and subjective variables, were collected. The Event-Related Rumination Inventory was used to assess rumination. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation was calculated for bivariate analysis. Independent sample t-tests or one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression analysis were used to examine the related factors.

RESULTS

A total of 179 frontline nurses were recruited, and 167 were included in the analyses. The mean PTG score was 70.53±17.26. The bivariate analyses showed that deliberate rumination was modestly positively correlated with PTG (r=0.557, p<0.01), while intrusive rumination had a modest negative correlation with PTG (r=-0.413, p<0.01). Multiple linear regression demonstrated that working years, self-confidence in frontline work, awareness of risk, psychological intervention or training during the epidemic and deliberate rumination were the main influencing factors of PTG among frontline nurses and accounted for 42.5% of the variance (F=31.626, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The PTG of frontline nurses was at a medium to high level and was influenced by working years, self-confidence in frontline work, awareness of risk, psychological intervention or training and deliberate rumination. It is necessary to strengthen psychological guidance and training for frontline nurses and promote their deliberate rumination on epidemic events to improve their PTG.

A prospective study of cancer-related benefit finding in uveal melanoma patients

Little is known about contributors to the psychosocial impact of uveal melanoma, a rare cancer. Predictors and outcomes of benefit finding, a potentially favorable outcome, were investigated. Adults (n = 107) completed assessments prior to diagnosis of uveal melanoma and one week, three months and 12 months after diagnosis. Path analyses with the full information maximum likelihood estimation method were conducted. Objective disease impact on vision did not predict benefit finding (p > .05). Approach-oriented coping prior to diagnosis and one week later significantly predicted greater benefit finding 12 months later (p < .01). Avoidance-oriented coping at three months moderated the concurrent relationship of benefit finding and positive affect at 12 months (p < .001). This first study of predictors of benefit finding in uveal melanoma patients suggests that greater approach-oriented coping prospectively predicts higher benefit finding. Further, avoidance may condition the association of benefit finding with psychosocial outcomes.