Trajectories and predictors of vicarious traumatization in Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES: This longitudinal study aimed to identify the trajectories and the predictors among sociodemographic and psychosocial variables at baseline of vicarious traumatization (VT) in Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 544 Chinese college students enrolled in a public University in central China, majored in Clinical Medicine, Nursing, Musicology, Physics, etc., participated in this longitudinal study lasting 19 months. Three-wave (wave 1: February 2020; wave 2: November 2020; wave 3: September 2021) of data were collected. Resourcefulness Scale and the 10-item Kessler scale (K10) were only assessed in the first-wave survey, and the Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was repeatedly measured in all three-wave surveys. A link to an online survey created by Questionnaire Star (https://www.wjx.cn/) was sent to the students to collect data. The Growth mixture modeling (GMM) and multiple logistic regression were used to identify the trajectories of VT and predictors for the distinct trajectories. RESULTS: The incidence of VT at each wave varied from 9.9% at wave 1, 4.0% at wave 2, to 2.6% at wave 3. Three trajectories of VT were the medium-level escalating group (3.0%), medium-level maintaining group (32.3%), and the low-level descending group (64.7%). Seniors (OR = 1.575, 95% CI: 1.059–2.341; OR = 1.161, 95% CI: 1.043–1.293) and those with poor mental health status (OR = 1.101, 95% CI: 1.030–1.177; OR = 1.083, 95% CI: 1.060–1.106) at baseline were more likely to be classified into the medium-level escalating group and medium-level maintaining group, respectively. Additionally, females (OR = 3.601, 95% CI: 1.311–9.887) were more likely to be included in the medium-level escalating group. CONCLUSION: Targeted psychological interventions are urgently needed for students vulnerable to VT. Further studies with more representative samples, longer period of follow-up, and predictors based on scientific theoretical framework, are needed to update the findings.