The Relation between Coping Styles and Posttraumatic Stress and Growth among Lebanese Nurses

A coping style is the type of strategy used to reactively manage emotional distress in response to a stressor (Xiong et al., 2020). Coping style can be adaptive, whereby appropriate approaches are employed, or maladaptive, whereby unhealthy, or harmful methods are used (Lazarus & Folkman, 1986). Coping styles have been studied in relation to posttraumatic outcomes including post-traumatic stress (PTS) and growth (PTG), and many other predictors. However, recent events including the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and the August 4th explosion in Beirut have called for investigation of these models among Lebanese nurses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of coping styles on posttraumatic growth and stress models among 130 nurses in Lebanon while moderating for the effect of proximity to the traumatic events. A study with a cross sectional design using 3 tools to measure PTS, PTG and coping styles were respectively PCL5, PTGI and BRIEF COPE .Results showed that only avoidant coping style was a significant positive predictor of PTS. Seeking social support and problem-solving coping styles were revealed to be significant predictors of PTG. The findings of this study can be used to empower nurse education programs and clinical interventions to shift their approach to dealing with trauma among this population by focusing more on posttraumatic growth (PTG).