The Mediating Role of Post-Traumatic Growth in the Relationship Between Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Well-Being

This study aimed to analyze the mediating role of post-traumatic growth in the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological well-being among nursing students after the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake. This study, which was a descriptive cross-sectional design, included 345 participants (201 female and 144 male). It used the descriptive characteristics questionnaire form, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Psychological Well-being Scale to collect the research data one year after the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake. The mediating role of post-traumatic growth in the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological well-being was tested using Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 4. The findings showed that post-traumatic growth significantly mediated the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological well-being (indirect effect = .158, 95% CI [.114, .207], K² = .30). Furthermore, post-traumatic stress disorder was negatively associated with psychological well-being, whereas post-traumatic growth was positively associated with psychological well-being. The mediation effect was of medium magnitude, indicating that post-traumatic growth partially buffered the negative impact of post-traumatic stress disorder on psychological well-being. In general, the study findings significantly contributed to the body of literature since they revealed that, even a year later, post-traumatic stress disorder negatively affected psychological well-being; however, post-traumatic growth positively predicted psychological well-being. Moreover, this study is among the first to demonstrate the buffering role of post-traumatic growth in mitigating the negative impact of post-traumatic stress disorder on psychological well-being one year after a major earthquake. These findings underscore the importance of implementing both coping-focused and growth-oriented interventions to promote long-term psychological well-being among earthquake survivors.