Latent transition of posttraumatic reactions’ co-existent patterns in adolescents following a devastating flood: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Extant studies investigated co-existent patterns of post-traumatic reactions in adolescents following natural disasters and examined changes in these patterns over time. However, they focused exclusively on specific or non-specific reactions, or only on positive or negative reactions. To fill this gap, this study considered specific/non-specific and positive /negative valence in posttraumatic reactions, and then examined the latent patterns of post-traumatic stress disorder, post-traumatic growth, depression, and life satisfaction and further assessed changes in these patterns. Following a devastating flood in Henan province, China, 551 adolescents were selected to participate in two-wave assessments. The results identified four co-existent patterns: the Moderate Distress Growth Group, Positive Growth Group, Struggling Group, and Resilient Group. The majority of survivors remained within their original group over a 2-year period, while four primary pathways of transition were found: Resilient Group → Positive Growth Group, Positive Growth Group → Moderate Distress Growth Group, Positive Growth Group → Resilient Group, and Moderate Distress Growth Group → Positive Growth Group. Emotion-focused coping style was identified as a predictor of positive changes in psychological reactions, whereas trauma exposure and problem-focused coping style were associated with negative changes. These findings suggested that adolescents’ co-existent patterns of post-traumatic reactions and their transitions were heterogeneous in adolescents following natural disasters.