Prospective examination of adolescent emotional intelligence and post-traumatic growth during and after COVID-19 lockdown

OBJECTIVES: While there have been some studies examining the post-traumatic growth (PTG) responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, few have been longitudinal studies exploring the changes over time or examining the underlying psychological PTG mechanisms. This study examined whether baseline perceived emotional intelligence (EI) predicted PTG through self-esteem and emotional regulation (ER) in a five-month follow-up study conducted on Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Validated measures were completed by 2090 participants, which assessed both the perceived EI and the PTG 1 month after a nationwide lockdown in China, with 1609 of these participating in the follow-up five months later. Structural equation models (SEM) were then used to explore the paths between the variables. RESULTS: As hypothesized, the follow-up survey found that the baseline perceived EI predicted PTG, ER, and self-esteem outcomes. The SEM analyses also revealed that self-esteem and ER significantly mediated the association between EI and PTG. LIMITATIONS: Studies of three or more waves may be more suitable for longitudinal mediation analyses. Self-assessment reports may have subjective effects. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that perceived EI might improve PTG in adolescents following the COVID-19 pandemic, and self-esteem and ER program training could be helpful in promoting PTG.