Self-compassion and resilience mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and posttraumatic growth/stress disorder during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Studies have indicated that childhood exposure to domestic violence is a common factor in posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it is unclear whether PTG and PTSD share a common/different underlying mechanism.

Aim: To explore the common/different underlying mechanism of PTG and PTSD.

Methods: Between February 12 and 17, 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China among 2038 university students, and a self-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data included demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, and subjective social economic status, and childhood exposure to domestic violence scale that was selected from the Chinese version of revised Adverse Childhood Experiences Question, Self-compassion Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Abbreviated PTSD Checklist-Civilian version. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses.

Results: Exposure to domestic violence was significantly associated with PTG and PTSD a 1-step indirect path of self-compassion (PTG: = -0.023, 95%CI: -0.44 to -0.007; PTSD: = 0.008, 95%CI: 0.002, 0.014) and a 2-step indirect path from self-compassion to resilience (PTG: = -0.008, 95%CI: -0.018 to -0.002; PTSD: = 0.013, 95%CI: 0.004-0.024). However, resilience did not mediate the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and PTG and PTSD.

Conclusion: PTG and PTSD are common results of childhood exposure to domestic violence, which may be influenced by self-compassion and resilience.