MEDIATING ROLE OF POST TRAUMATIC GROWTH (PDG) BETWEEN POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG FLOOD SURVIVORS

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationships among post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-traumatic growth (PTG), and coping strategies, including religiosity and parent-peer attachment, among flood survivors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Additionally, it aimed to assess the mediating role of PTG between PTSD and these coping strategies. Using a correlational research design, the study sampled 500 young adults aged 18-25 from flood-affected areas. Results indicated that PTG was negatively correlated with PTSD and positively associated with religiosity and parent-peer attachment. Structural equation modeling showed that PTG mediated the relationship between PTSD and coping strategies, improving the models' explanatory power. Significant differences were found between males and females where females reported higher PTSD, PTG, religiosity and males showed higher parent and peer attachment.