Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Jul 2023)
The Association Between Group Identity and Post-Traumatic Growth in the Post COVID-19 Era: The Mediating Effect of Social-Emotional Competence
Abstract
Xiang Zhou,1 Yifei Chen,1 Lidong Zhu,1 Zhenni An,2 Jianzhen Zhang,1 Jiahao Ge2 1College of Geography and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jianzhen Zhang, College of Geography and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Normal University, No. 688, Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Jiahao Ge, College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, No. 688, Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 17721521016, Email [email protected]: To investigate the impact of human-society relationships on individual post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the post COVID-19 era, this study examined the association between group identity (GI) and PTG, and explored the mediating role of social-emotional competence (SEC).Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 1203 high school students in an eastern region of China using the GI Scale, the SEC Scale, and the PTG Scale. We conducted correlation and mediation analyses using SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS software.Results: The results indicated that GI was a significant positive predictor of PTG (β=0.219, p< 0.001), and that the pathway between GI and PTG was partially mediated by SEC (Effect=0.074, 95% CI= [0.045,0.104]).Conclusion: GI can have both direct and indirect effects on PTG, with the latter mediated by SEC. These findings hold important theoretical and practical implications for promoting PTG and enhancing mental health in the post COVID-19 era.Keywords: COVID-19, human-society relationship, mental health, mediation model
