Relationship between Post Traumatic Growth and Attachment to God in COVID Survivors: Mediating Role of Adaptive Coping

Abstract

Background: The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted psychological challenges faced by survivors. Amidst these challenges, the insightful understanding of the factors contributing to post-traumatic growth takes on significance. Objective: To investigate the mediating role of adaptive coping between attachment to God and post traumatic growth in COVID survivors. Study type, settings & duration: A descriptive cross-sectional web-based study was conducted at the Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha from February to June 2021. Methodology: A sample of COVID Survivors (N=113) was collected from Sargodha and Rawalpindi district through mixed sampling technique (purposive and snowball). Dimensional Attachment to God Scale17, Brief Cope Scale18, and Post traumatic Growth Inventory19 were used to measure attachment to God, adaptive coping, and post traumatic growth respectively. Results: Path analysis in Amos indicated the positive direct effect of secure attachment to God on adaptive coping (β =.51, p <.009). Insecure attachment style had no effect on adaptive coping (β =.04, p <.67) and negative effect on post-traumatic growth (β =-.27, p <.009). A high level of adaptive coping had a positive effect on post-traumatic growth (β =.22, p <.04). Adaptive coping mediated the positive relationship between secure attachment to God and post-traumatic growth (β =.11, p <.03). Conclusion: Adaptive coping could be one of the causal links between attachment to God and post-traumatic growth. There is the dire need to plan strategies that work for post traumatic growth than post traumatic distress.

Keywords

• covid survivors
• adaptive coping
• attachment to god
• post-traumatic growth