Self-compassion in the prospective associations with the coexisting patterns of posttraumatic stress symptoms and...

Previous research has highlighted the diverse range of posttraumatic psychological responses observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to investigate the prospective associations between different dimensions of self-compassion and the concurrent patterns of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among college students during the pandemic.

A prospective study was conducted using an online survey administered to college students in mainland China. In May 2020, a total of 1099 college students provided assessments of their self-compassion, PTSS, and PTG in Wave 1. Six months later, 701 students reported their PTSS and PTG levels in Wave 2 once again.

After adjusting for PTSS and PTG in Wave 1, the study identified five distinct classes characterizing the coexisting PTSS and PTG patterns in college students during Wave 2: the coexistence group (11.6%), unaffected group (37.1%), growth group (30.7%), trauma group (10.6%), and vulnerable group (10.1%). In comparison to the growth group, a higher degree of self-kindness demonstrated a prospective association with a reduced likelihood of students belonging to the unaffected group, trauma group, and vulnerable group. Similarly, a higher level of common humanity was prospectively associated with a decreased probability of students being classified in the unaffected group. Furthermore, higher levels of mindfulness were linked to decreased likelihoods of students being placed in the trauma and vulnerable groups. Additionally, higher levels of overidentification demonstrated a prospective association with an increased likelihood of students being categorized into the other four groups when compared to the growth group.

The study underscores the heterogeneous nature of pandemic-related posttraumatic psychological responses among college students. To effectively address PTSS and PTG in this population, intervention programs should focus on enhancing mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity while reducing overidentification.