Enhancing post traumatic growth during the COVID-19 lockdown: the roles of nature relatedness and perceived restorativeness

Abstract

Objective: Despite the well documented negative outcomes related to traumatic events, people who experience traumatic events may manage the consequences in an adaptive way. This study aims to understand whether nature relatedness perception and the perceived potential of restorativeness related to one’s house may explain Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) in the context of a pandemic. Methods: 308 adults (Mage = 35.31; SD= 13.91; 22.7% males) were recruited through an online survey administered during the national lockdown. We administrated measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), PTG, perceived restorativeness, and nature relatedness. The study examines how and which dimension of perceived restorativeness and nature relatedness influences dimensions of PTG in a generalized post-traumatic stress disorder population. Results: Controlling for age and gender, we found that different facets of PTG were differently predicted by PTSD, Nature relatedness, and perceived restorativeness. PTSD significantly predicted all dimensions of PTG. In particular, there would be a positive significative correlation between NRS (Nature Relatedness Scale) scores and the specific dimension "being away" of the PRS (Perceived Restorativeness Scale), which would predict the scores of two subcategories of the PTGI (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory). These two variables, "being away" and NRS, appear to be good predictors for assessing posttraumatic growth in specific dimensions of the PTGI. Conclusions: Perceived connection to nature as well as the sensation that one’s house is a place where one can escape from daily routine significantly predicted spiritual change and awareness of new possibilities in one’s life. Finally, fascination for the place where the individual lived significantly predicted spiritual change.

Keywords

• post-traumatic growth
• covid-19
• nature relatedness
• perceived restorativeness
• clinical psychology.