The reciprocal relations among self-compassion, posttraumatic stress disorder, and posttraumatic growth among adolescents after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake: a three-wave cross-lagged study

Abstract

Background

Previous cross-sectional studies have examined the relationship between self-compassion, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and post-traumatic growth (PTG). But no study has tested whether self-compassion is a cause or a consequence of PTSD, PTG, or both.

Aims

The cross-lag analysis was used to examine the reciprocal effects among self-compassion, PTSD, and PTG.

Method

We used data from 244 adolescents who had experienced earthquakes. We assessed self-compassion, PTSD, and PTG via self-report measures after the earthquake in Jiuzhaigou, as well as 6 and 12 months later.

Results

Cross-lagged analyses indicated that positive self-compassion could significantly predict subsequent PTSD and PTG. Meanwhile, PTSD and PTG also predicted later positive self-compassion. Negative self-compassion at T1 increased PTSD at T2, and neither PTSD nor PTG significantly predicted subsequent negative self-compassion. In addition, negative self-compassion at T1 significantly predicted positive self-compassion at T2, while positive self-compassion at T2 significantly predicted negative self-compassion at T3.

Conclusions

Positive self-compassion is a protective factor of post-traumatic psychological response, and it is maintained for a long time, while negative self-compassion may aggravate the negative psychological outcomes of adolescents in the early stage of experiencing traumatic events. In addition, positive and negative self-compassion can influence each other over time.

Keywords:

• Self-compassion
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• post-traumatic growth
• adolescents
• cross-lag analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

The current study was supported by “The National Natural Science Foundation of China” (Project No. 32071085) and “The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China” (Project No. 2020NTSS02).