Adolescent predictors of post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 28-year longitudinal study

Background: Despite growing interest in the positive psychological consequences of trauma, such as post-traumatic growth (PTG), most existing studies rely on cross-sectional designs, limiting our understanding of how and when growth occurs. Longitudinal research is needed to identify early-life antecedents of PTG and clarify its developmental pathways.Objective: This study examined whether social, psychological, and sociodemographic factors in adolescence predict PTG in midlife in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: We used data from a 28-year population-based longitudinal study (N = 2,215). Adolescent predictors from 1992 included social relationships, mental health, and sociodemographic characteristics. PTG in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was measured in 2020 using the three subscales relating to others, personal strength, and appreciation of life from a short version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory. We conducted univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses and tested for possible moderation effects of gender.Results: Having close friendships and caring parents in adolescence consistently predicted higher PTG in midlife. Social acceptance was related to increased PTG in univariate analyses, but not in adjusted models. Mental health problems were univariately associated with greater scores on the appreciation of life subscale. Immigrant status predicted greater appreciation of life in both univariate and multivariate models, whereas higher parental education was associated with lower scores on the personal strength subscale. No significant moderation effects of gender were observed.Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate adolescent predictors of PTG in midlife. Findings highlight the lasting importance of social and familial support during adolescence for fostering positive psychological outcomes later in life.