Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.578

POSITIVITY AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IN COVID-19 SURVIVORS: MEDIATING ROLE OF RUMINATION AND FEAR OF COVID-19

Aykut Gunlu orcid.org/0000-0002-6617-2871 ; Department of Child Care and Youth Services, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
Hayri Koç orcid.org/0000-0002-4589-8999 ; Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey
Esra Asici orcid.org/0000-0003-0872-9042 ; Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Aralik University, Kilis, Turkey
Tuncay Oral orcid.org/0000-0001-5039-9812 ; Department of Child Care and Youth Services, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic, which still continues to affect the whole world, has led to an increase in PTSD symptoms in
societies, especially individuals who have been diagnosed with the disease and recovered are at significant risk for PTSD have been
reported. Although it has been observed that PTSD symptoms of individuals who were infected in the past epidemics such as SARS
and Ebola continued for a long time even after the epidemic, it is noteworthy that the studies conducted during the COVID-19
process do not focus enough on people who survived the COVID-19 disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the direct and
indirect impact of positivity on PTSD symptoms of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 and the role of rumination and
fear of COVID-19 as potential mediators in this effect.
Subjects and methods: In the study, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Ruminative Response Scale, Positivity Scale, and Fear of
COVID-19 Scale were applied to 551 Turkish participants, who survived the COVID-19 disease. SEM-based mediation analysis was
used to test hypothesized relationships.
Results: Mediating roles of fear of COVID-19 and rumination between positivity and PTSD were tested. Results indicated that
rumination and fear of COVID-19 had a full mediating role in the relationship between positivity and PTSD.
Conclusion: These findings pointed out that positivity might be an indirect protective disposition against COVID-19-related
PTSD and might reduce risk factors associated with PTSD among COVID-19 survivors. Mental health practices for COVID-19
patients should aim to increase positive thinking, since they have ruminative thoughts about transmission of the virus and
hospitalization process and these thoughts may lead to negative mental health conditions. In this sense, positive psychology-focused
implementations can be organized for COVID-19 patients and survivors.

Keywords

positivity; PTSD; fear of COVID-19; rumination

Hrčak ID:

290440

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/290440

Publication date:

3.11.2022.

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