What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger: Sense of coherence moderates growth from stress amidst the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak

PurposeThis study explored the role of perceived severity of the pandemic, post-traumatic stress and sense of coherence in the development of post-traumatic growth from exposure to COVID-19 among Hong Kong citizens. MethodsA longitudinal online survey was launched during the first local outbreak in Spring 2020. Time 1 was collected at the peak of the outbreak (Mid-March to early-April) with measurements of post-traumatic stress, perceived severity, and sense of coherence; while Time 2 was conducted at the palliation of the outbreak (late-April to early May) with post-traumatic growth measured. Moderated mediation models were tested with SPSS PROCESS version 3.30. ResultsAmong the 327 participants who completed both T1 and T2 questionnaires, 28.4% exhibited probable post-traumatic stress disorder, while 18.0% experienced significant post-traumatic growth in at least one domain. Post-traumatic growth was more likely among people with higher socio-economic backgrounds and with family or close friends having experienced medical quarantine or being tested positive for SAR-CoV-2. The interaction between sense of coherence and post-traumatic stress significantly mediated the link relationship of perceived severity on post-traumatic growth, such that growth was more likely among participants with higher post-traumatic stress and sense of coherence. ConclusionEchoing with the transformational model, our findings highlight the importance of traumatic stress and adaptive coping resources in developing post-traumatic growth. Severe judgments of the novel and challenging pandemic could be conducive to growth, especially when the individuals possess high sense of coherence.