Sense of place and post-traumatic growth in the post-COVID era: A moderated mediation model of psychological resilience and social-emotional competence

AbstractBackground In the post-COVID era, identifying ways to promote post-traumatic growth among the general public is a pressing concern. However, few studies have explored the potential positive impact of people’s relationship with place on post-traumatic growth. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between sense of place) and post-traumatic growth, as well as the mediating role of psychological resilience and moderating effect of social-emotional competence. Methods We conducted a survey with 1203 high school students in eastern China to assess their levels of sense of place, post-traumatic growth, psychological resilience, and social-emotional competence. Moderated mediation models were tested using SPSS, AMOS, and PROCESS. Results The results indicated a significant positive impact of sense of place on post-traumatic growth (β = 0.111, p < 0.001), with psychological resilience serving as a mediator (β = 0.401, p < 0.001). Moreover, social-emotional competence moderated the relationship between sense of place and psychological resilience in this pathway (β = 0.073, p < 0.001). Conclusions The results indicated that sense of place may have both direct and indirect impacts through psychological resilience on post-traumatic growth. In addition, individuals with higher social-emotional competence tend to experience more post-traumatic growth, even when their sense of place is similar to individuals with lower social-emotional competence. These findings have significant implications for promoting post-traumatic growth among adolescents in the post-COVID era.