Mental health and psychosocial consequences of pandemics are matters of significant concern. This correlational study examined the associations among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related traumatic stress, coping strategies, and posttraumatic growth in a sample of 864 adults in Türkiye. Weak but statistically significant positive associations were observed among traumatic stress, coping strategies, and posttraumatic growth. Adaptive coping strategies were associated with a significant indirect pathway between COVID-19-related traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth, whereas maladaptive coping strategies were not. Similar indirect patterns were observed for the posttraumatic growth subdimensions of change in self-perception, change in life philosophy, and change in relationships with others. Overall, the findings suggest that coping strategies may function as an associative pathway linking pandemic-related stress with perceived psychological growth. From a practical perspective, promoting adaptive coping strategies may support psychological adjustment in the aftermath of large-scale public health crises.
Çevik et al. (Tue,) studied this question.