December 07, 2022

Journal Critique

In psychology, posttraumatic growth (PTG) is the positive psychological development

brought on by overcoming challenging and stressful conditions. These conditions pose
considerable difficulties to the person's capacity for adaptation and perception of the world and
its place. Posttraumatic growth entails life-changing psychological adjustments in how a person
thinks and interacts with the outside world and their selves. These psychological shifts help to
create a significant personal transformation process. Consequently, PTG allows people to
reframe their experiences and see the possible benefits of life tragedy, which can enhance
interpersonal connections, open up new avenues, increase one's strength, affect spiritual
development, or increase one's appreciation for life.

The current study examines the current stage of post-traumatic development and
identifies the variables that affect it in patients who have been discharged. The study's findings
showed that PTG and PTSD were positively correlated in COVID-19 patients who had been
discharged and that PTG was higher in patients with more severe PTSD. The results also
revealed that the Post-Traumatic Growth of the COVID-19 patients who had been discharged
positively correlated with self-esteem, attitude toward coping with stress, and social assistance
but negatively correlated with the interval between onset and diagnosis. This implies that social
support and healthy coping mechanisms may affect cognitive appraisal processes and coping
strategies, which may affect posttraumatic outcomes. The ability to form supportive relationships
through social support can help traumatized people find their way in the world, find their way
toward goals in life, and seize every chance to realize their hopes and aspirations. Additionally,
enhancing the epidemiological environment and developing technology could aid in eradicating
the negative feelings experienced by COVID-19 patients and encourage the emergence of
healthy coping mechanisms in them.

The coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed the world, a new and unfamiliar condition
that has fundamentally altered many people's daily lives. Around the world, it has caused a great
deal of worry, uncertainty, and concern. When you combine social isolation, disturbed job and
family schedules, and economic volatility, it makes sense that many people’s mental health has
deteriorated.

This cross-sectional study is the first to explore psychological PTG and investigate the
influencing factors of PTG in discharged COVID-19 patients, as the topic has scarcely been
investigated. As the pandemic is a timely topic for discussion, this study's findings could help
discover the contributing factors to the development of post-traumatic growth in COVID-19
patients. Knowing the various contributing elements may help people choose the right course for
psychological counseling in the wake of a public health crisis. In addition, the discoveries in this
study would contribute to the literature on COVID-19 patients and PTG. Also, this could be a
basis for future researchers interested in studying the same subject.

For future research on the same subject, an increase in sample size would be good to
validate the results since the study has only a small sample size which limited the statistical
power. In addition, finding out the general conditions with the whole classical scale would also
help to provide a broader view of the situations of the discharged COVID-19 patients. Future
research should look at limiting or eliminating bias since the assessment used in the study was
self-reported, which prone to reporting biases.

The literature used in the study has provided adequate information regarding the subject
topic. It highlighted the psychiatric symptoms suffered by COVID-19 patients and discussed
post-traumatic growth, post-traumatic stress disorder, coping styles, and the importance of social
support. The study was able to present literature that supports their research and allows the
readers to understand the present study’s focus and its importance.

The researchers used a convenient sampling method in recruiting 140 participants in the
study. Five inclusion criteria were used to choose the participants: they had to be above 18 years
old, have a regular reading and writing ability level, and have been given a COVID-19 diagnosis
according to the Chinese regime for diagnosis and treatment. Along with being able to use
WeChat's features effectively, participants must also be able to grasp the contents of the
questionnaire. Informed consent for volunteer study participants must be signed by participants,
which is the final requirement.
 The participants were given six questionnaires to complete. Analysis was conducted by
the researchers using SPSS software. PTG variation across patients in several groups of
categorical factors was compared using an ANOVA. Additionally, the researchers used stepwise
linear regression analysis to examine the influences on PTG, and Pearson's r analysis was
utilized to investigate the link between general and psychological status variables.

The study’s results demonstrated a good correlation between PTG and self-esteem,
PTSD, coping style propensity, and social support in the COVID-19 patients who had been
released. The researchers cited previous literature that supports the results of the study.
Additionally, they referenced models supporting the study's findings, such as the model of
thriving through connections and the comprehensive model of PTG.

The study used a relatively small sample size; thus, the researchers could only gather
small data to validate their sample's statistical significance. A larger sample size could have been
good to have a more accurate value and give more reliable results. In addition, because the
researcher used an electronic questionnaire, they could ask the participants only about their
general conditions. The researchers could have used other online means to talk with the
participants and gather more data on their experiences having COVID-19. It could have yielded a
much deeper understanding of the feelings and emotions of the discharge participants.

Overall, the study has made me rethink people’s ability to overcome adversities and how
negative experiences can lead to positive change. Despite the suffering brought on by the
coronavirus outbreak, many of us can anticipate that our lives will improve as a result of it.
People are using their negative experiences with the recent pandemic to make a positive change
within themselves. This is one of the admirable things about some individuals. They could
endure their struggles independently and make positive changes afterward. Not all people can do
those things. Of course, not everyone struggles the same, and we all have our coping styles.
However, something like this makes me think of what other development humans can do.

As a future professional, I believe it is essential that we understand how an individual

deals with trauma, as it is crucial for assessing the scope to which post-traumatic growth takes
place. By understanding PTG, we could maybe do something as professionals to facilitate post-
traumatic growth in individuals.