The Relationship Between Intrusive Rumination and Post-Traumatic Growth among University Students with Experience of Interpersonal Trauma: Focusing on the Moderated Mediation Effects of Self-Compassion and Gratitude through Deliberate Rumination

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of deliberate rumination between intrusive rumination and post-traumatic growth based on the post-traumatic growth model and the moderated mediation effects of self-compassion and gratitude in this mediation process. Data from an online survey of 223 university students with experience of interpersonal trauma experience, measuring experience of interpersonal trauma, impact of event, event-related rumination, post-traumatic growth, self-compassion, and gratitude were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and PROCESS Macro 4.3. The main results are as follows. First, deliberate rumination partially mediates the relationship between intrusive rumination and post-traumatic growth. Second, self-compassion was found to moderate the indirect effect in the relationship between intrusive rumination and post-traumatic growth through deliberate rumination. Third, gratitude was found to moderate the indirect effect in the relationship between intrusive rumination and post-traumatic growth through deliberate rumination. Based on the research results, suggestions and implications for follow-up research were discussed.