Rui Zhen

Understanding the Relationship Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder/Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents After Ya'an Earthquake: The Role of Emotion Regulation.

Objective: Posttraumatic distress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) may coexist in trauma survivors, but there are mixed relationships between PTSD and PTG. To elucidate their relationship and constructs, it is necessary to examine simultaneously predictive factors, and to compare their determining factors. The aim of this study was to increasing our understanding the relationship between PTSD and PTG by examining simultaneously the role of social support and emotion regulation in PTSD and PTG among adolescents after the earthquake. Methods: Six months after the Ya’an earthquake, 315 middle school students in Lushan county were assessed using measures of trauma exposure, social support, and emotion regulation, as well as Child PTSD Symptom Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Results: Social support had significant direct association with PTG but not with PTSD, but social support had a negative indirect prediction on PTSD and a positive indirect prediction on PTG through cognitive reappraisal. Social support, through expressive suppression, had a significant and indirect prediction on PTSD, but a nonsignificant indirect prediction on PTG. Conclusions: This study indicate that the predictive mechanism of PTSD and PTG were different and further suggest that PTSD and PTG are separate, independent dimensions of psychological experiences following adversity.

Understanding the Relationship between Rainstorm-Related Experiences and PTSD among Chinese Adolescents after Rainstorm Disaster: The Roles of Rumination and Social Support

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent among adolescents following natural disasters, and the trauma experiences represent a critical risk factor for PTSD. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of adolescents’ PTSD following trauma experiences remains unclear. Rumination appears to be a mediating factor between trauma experiences and PTSD, and social support may moderate this mediating relationship between trauma experiences, rumination, and PTSD, but few studies have examined these assumptions. Thus, this study aimed to assess the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of social support in the relationship between rainstorm-related experiences and PTSD among adolescents, following a rainstorm in China. Nine hundred and fifty-one middle school students completed self-report questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the potential moderated mediation effect. Rainstorm-related experiences had a direct and positive effect on PTSD, and also indirectly influenced PTSD via rumination. Moreover, social support work to buffer the direct effect of rainstorm-related experiences on PTSD, but not the effect of rumination on PTSD. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed along with study limitations.

The role of posttraumatic fear and social support in the relationship between trauma severity and posttraumatic growth among adolescent survivors of the Yaan earthquake.

Middle school students in Lushan county (N = 315) were assessed 6 months after the Yaan earthquake using a trauma severity questionnaire, a posttraumatic fear questionnaire, a social support questionnaire and a posttraumatic growth inventory to examine the effects of posttraumatic fear and social support in the relationship between trauma severity and posttraumatic growth (PTG). The results showed that posttraumatic fear mediated the relationship between trauma severity and PTG, and social support moderated the relationship between posttraumatic fear and PTG. These findings suggested that trauma severity could be positively associated with PTG in a direct way or in an indirect way through posttraumatic fear. Moreover, posttraumatic fear had a positive relation to PTG under the condition of high social support level, whereas the relation was non-significant when the level of social support was low. These results were discussed in terms of their implications for adolescents after trauma.

Self-esteem and hope mediate the relations between social support and post-traumatic stress disorder and growth in adolescents following the Ya’an earthquake

ABSTRACT Background and objective: Although posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) can co-exist, and several theories suggest that social support, self-esteem, and hope can predict both PTSD and PTG, no study to date has examined the combined role of social support, self-esteem, and hope in PTSD and PTG. The present study aimed to simultaneously examine the mediating roles of self-esteem and hope in the relations between social support and PTSD, and between social support and PTG. Design: This study included 397 adolescents living in Lushan County, China, who were affected by the Ya’an earthquake. Method: The participants completed the self-report questionnaires at two and a half years after the earthquake. Structural equation models were built to examine the roles of social support, self-esteem, and hope in PTSD and PTG. Results: Social support directly and negatively predicted PTSD and positively predicted PTG. Moreover, social support negatively predicted PTSD via self-esteem, and positively predicted PTG via hope. In addition, social support positively predicted PTG through multiple mediating paths from self-esteem to hope. Conclusions: PTSD and PTG had different predictive paths. Specifically, social support reduced PTSD through enhanced self-esteem and promoted PTG through hope, or through the path from self-esteem to hope.

Traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among flood victims: Testing a multiple mediating model

A total of 187 flood victims from Wuhu, a Chinese city affected most severely by a flood during July 2016, were selected to complete self-report measures of traumatic exposure, feelings of safety, fear, posttraumatic negative cognition, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The results found that traumatic exposure could directly predict posttraumatic stress disorder. Besides, traumatic exposure had indirect prediction on posttraumatic stress disorder through three ways, including a one-step path of negative self-cognition, a two-step path from feelings of safety to fear, and a three-step path from feelings of safety to negative self-cognition via fear. Implications and future directions are correspondingly discussed.

How does social support relieve depression among flood victims? The contribution of feelings of safety, self-disclosure, and negative cognition

BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common post-trauma symptoms that can be alleivated by social support. The purpose of this study was to examine the multiple mediating effects of social support on depression via feelings of safety, disclosure, and negative cognition. METHOD One hundred and eighty-seven flood victims in Wuhu City, an area affected most severely by a flood during July 2016, were selected to complete a self-report questionnaire package. RESULTS Social support has four indirect negative effects on depression, including a one-step indirect path to self-disclosure, 2 two-step paths from feelings of safety to self-disclosure, and from self-disclosure to negative cognition about self, and a three-step indirect path from feelings of life safety via self-disclosure to negative self-cognition. LIMITATIONS All variables were measured using self-report scales. CONCLUSION Social support may relieve depression in flood victims by inducing feelings of safety and self-disclosure, and by relieving negative cognition.

Fear, negative cognition, and depression mediate the relationship between traumatic exposure and sleep problems among flood victims in China.

Objective: To examine the prerequisites of sleep problems among a traumatized population, and assess the underlying mechanisms of sleep problems following trauma. Method: The current study investigated 187 flood victims from 5 makeshift shelters in the Wuhu city of Anhui province after a major flood disaster that occurred in July 2016. A traumatic exposure questionnaire, a fear questionnaire, a posttraumatic cognition inventory, a depression inventory, and a sleep problems questionnaire were used. Results: Traumatic exposure had a direct and positive association with sleep problems and could also be indirectly associated with sleep problems through fear, depression, but not negative cognitions. The positive association could be the result of a path from negative cognitions to depression, but not from fear to negative cognition, or from fear to depression. Furthermore, a threefold multipath from fear to depression via negative cognitions could also link traumatic exposure to sleep problems. Conclusions: Flood victims’ sleep problems are elicited by the combined role of fear, negative cognitions, and depression following trauma.

Measures of Potential Flexibility and Practical Flexibility in Equation Solving

Researchers interested in mathematical proficiency have recently begun to explore the development of strategic flexibility, where flexibility is defined as knowledge of multiple strategies for solving a problem and the ability to implement an innovative strategy for a given problem solving circumstance. However, anecdotal findings from this literature indicate that students do not consistently use an innovative strategy for solving a given problem, even when these same students demonstrate knowledge of innovative strategies. This distinction, sometimes framed in the psychological literature as competence vs. performance—has not been previously studied for flexibility. In order to explore the competence/performance distinction in flexibility, this study developed and validated measures for potential flexibility (e.g., competence, or knowledge of multiple strategies) and practical flexibility (e.g., performance, use of innovative strategies) for solving equations. The measures were administrated to a sample of 158 Chinese middle school students through a Tri-Phase Flexibility Assessment, in which the students were asked to solve each equation, generate additional strategies, and evaluate own multiple strategies. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model of potential and practical flexibility. Satisfactory internal consistency was found for the measures. Additional validity evidence included the significant association with flexibility measured with the previous method. Potential flexibility and practical flexibility were found to be distinct but related. The theoretical and practical implications of the concepts and their measures of potential flexibility and practical flexibility are discussed.

Patterns of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents After the Wenchuan Earthquake in China: A Latent Profile Analysis: Coexisting Patterns of PTSD and PTG1

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) often coexist in the survivors of traumatic events. The current study examined the coexisting patterns of PTSD and PTG using latent profile analysis in a sample of 591 adolescent survivors of the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effects of traumatic exposure on specific coexisting patterns. A three-class solution characterized by a growth group (39.6%), a low symptoms group (10.3%), and a coexistence group (50.1%) fitted the data best. Members of the low symptoms group were more likely to be male, odds ratio (OR) = 2.67, 95% CI [1.48, 4.81]; and adolescents in the coexistence group were more likely to be older, OR = 1.22, 95%CI [1.09, 1.37], and to have had experienced serious indirect exposure, OR = 1.07, 95% CI [1.02, 1.12], and posttraumatic fear, OR = 1.20, 95% CI [1.11, 1.31].

Co-occurring patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among flood victims: A latent profile analysis:

This study examined the co-occurring patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. A sample of 187 victims completed self-report questionnaires after a major flood disaster. Results indicated four classes: low symptoms group (49.7%), mild comorbid symptoms group (24.1%), serious comorbid symptoms group (3.2%), and medium comorbid symptoms group (23.0%). Male victims were less likely and older victims were more likely to belong to the medium comorbid symptoms group; victims with more serious trauma exposure and those using more maladaptive cognition emotional regulation strategies were more likely to belong to both the mild and medium comorbid symptoms groups.