Post Traumatic Growth for Gestational Diabetic Patients During COVID-19: Role of Partner Supportive Communication and Family Environment

PURPOSE: Leading a normal life and managing daily psychological or physical stress is hard for everybody but when a person is diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during a widespread pandemic, the battle is inescapable. This research aimed to explore some positive dimensions that can lessen the adversities of these women. DESIGN AND METHODS: We assessed all 200 cases of GDM who were registered in the maternity wards of the government and private hospitals of South Punjab, Pakistan. Respondents were diagnosed with GDM during the first wave of COVID-19. Post-traumatic growth (PTG) inventory, Family environment scale, and Partner supportive communication (PSC) scale were used. SEM and moderation analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables. RESULTS: Result showed that elicitation of thoughts and feelings (β = 0.109, t-value = 3.501, p = 0.001), effective listening (β = −0.144, t-value = 1.928, p = 0.054), and communication towards partner (β = −0.209, t-value = 4.850, p = 0.005) significantly moderated the relationship between family environment and post traumatic growth. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This research is beneficial for health practitioners because the trauma of being diagnosed with such a disease can be alleviated by the role of family environment and PSC.