Affect and post-traumatic growth in previously bullied students: Intrusive and deliberate rumination as mediators

Bullying often causes profound psychological changes in people, which can have long-term impacts on mood and other related processes. This cross-sectional study aims to analyze whether associations between (negative vs. positive) affect and post-traumatic growth (PTG) are mediated by (intrusive and deliberate) rumination. Using a large sample of 1188 college students, we selected 112 participants (77 % women) who reported having experienced peer victimization before entering university. Based on correlation analysis, two serial mediation analyses were estimated using either positive or negative affect as predictors. While positive affect was directly related to PTG, negative affect was only indirectly related to thriving. Specifically, negative affect made PTG less likely through intrusive rumination, and more likely through serial mediation of intrusive and deliberate rumination. The findings suggest that deliberate rumination could be useful for designing interventions that promote thriving after experiencing bullying. It could also help reduce the risk posed by negative affect and intrusive rumination.