The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Cognitions in the Relationship Between Psychological Vulnerability and Depression in Individuals With a History of Covid-19

Abstract Background: This paper examined the psychological vulnerability and mediating role of cognitions after the trauma of COVID-19. Methods: The sample of this relational study consisted of 486 (F=276,M=210) students studying at a state university in …. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants completed the online versions of the DASS-21 scale, the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale. The hypothetical model was tested via the bootstrapping procedure for regression and mediating effect. Results: Psychological vulnerability had direct and significant effects on all sub-dimensions of posttraumatic cognitions. On the other hand, posttraumatic cognitions had a direct and significant effect on depression. Besides, the psychological vulnerability was found to be a significant predictor of depression. The analysis of mediating effect showed that cognitions had a mediating effect on the relationship between psychological vulnerability and depression after COVID-19 trauma. The explained variance for the whole model was 23%. Conclusion: According to findings, psychological vulnerability increased the level of depression by increasing posttraumatic cognitions, and both psychological vulnerability and posttraumatic cognitions had a direct and significant effect on depression.