The roles of social support, family support, coping strategies, and financial safety in posttraumatic growth among COVID-19 survivors in Kerala

The infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the pandemic have had a profound impact on people’s physical health and mental well-being. While studies have shown that frontline healthcare workers demonstrated posttraumatic growth (i.e., positive psychological changes resulting from struggle and challenges from the pandemic) little attention has been given to the experiences of individuals who recovered from COVID-19. The present study examined whether the COVID-19 survivors experienced similar changes. Based on the literature, it is hypothesized that social support, family support, coping strategies, and financial safety may be related to posttraumatic growth (PTG) among COVID-19 survivors in Kerala, India. During the second wave of the pandemic in India, the study surveyed 427 Covid-19 survivors online using measures of PTG, family support, social support, coping strategies, financial safety, and demographics. The results showed that (1) active problem-solving and positive reappraisal of emotions helped survivors find meaning in the crisis; (2) support from friends was more important than support from family in helping survivors see the benefits of the adversity; and (3) financial safety was negatively related to PTG. The findings suggest that mental health professionals can facilitate PTG in clients by promoting effective coping skills and enhancing their social support networks.