Social support, posttraumatic growth, and prosocial behaviors among adolescents following a flood: the mediating roles of belief in a just world and empathy

Background/Objective: In addition to negative psychological reactions, individuals who experienced traumatic events may also show positive psychological and behavioral changes. This study examined the relationships between social support, belief in a just world (BJW), empathy, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and prosocial behaviors to clarify whether PTG and prosocial behaviors had shared or unique underlying mechanisms. Method: We used a self-reported questionnaire to investigate 920 adolescents that experienced a catastrophic flood in Henan Province, China, in July 2021. Structured equation modeling was used for the data analysis. Results: After controlling for trauma exposure, social support was directly related to both PTG and prosocial behaviors. Social support was also indirectly related to both PTG and prosocial behaviors via BJW. Moreover, social support was indirectly associated with prosocial behavior via empathy and via the path from BJW to empathy. Conclusions: These findings indicate that BJW and empathy play different roles in the relationships between social support and PTG and prosocial behavior, and suggest these relationships have unique mechanisms.