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Objective: Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk for suffering negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as secondary traumatic stress symptoms (STS), as they are exposed to this traumatic experience both directly, as community residents, and indirectly, in the care of infected patients. Following vicarious exposure, positive psychological outcomes, such as vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG), are also likely, though they are less studied. The present study aims to examine (a) the associations among STS, VPTG, and coping strategies among HCWs during the COVID-19 lockdown and (b) the mediating role of coping strategies in the STS–VPTG relationship. Method: Cross-sectional online data were collected amid the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece (March 23, 2020 through May 3, 2020) from a sample of 647 HCWs (25% men, 75% women). The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory were used to measure STS, VPTG, and coping strategies, respectively. Results: HCWs reported moderate to low levels of STS and VPTG, with the VPTG dimensions of personal strength and appreciation of life being the highest categories. Intrusions mental and both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies predicted VPTG. Adaptive coping strategies partially mediated the relationship between STS and VPTG, whereas maladaptive coping strategies fully mediated this relationship. Conclusions: Understanding the coping responses during lockdown among HCWs is important for developing tailored prevention and intervention actions to protect the populations at risk from the deleterious impacts of uncontrollable and life-threatening diseases and promote posttraumatic growth.

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The aim was to (i) compare the rates of perceived stress, post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and other potential correlates (i.e., resilience, social support, coping strategies, and loneliness) in the general population between the two COVID‐19 lockdowns in Greece and (ii) explore risk and protective factors of PTSS. Online data were collected amid the first (timepoint 1‐T1) and second lockdown (timepoint 2‐T2) by 1009 and 352 participants, respectively. The PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5 and the Perceived Stress Scale measured levels of PTSS and perceived stress. The Brief Resilience Scale, the COPE, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument measured resilience, coping strategies, loneliness, and social support, respectively. Higher levels of PTSS and perceived stress were reported during T2, compared to T1. Clinically significant levels of PTSS were presented by 26.1% and 35.5% of the participants during T1 and T2, respectively. Higher levels of loneliness and use of maladaptive coping strategies and lower levels of social support, resilience and use of adaptive coping strategies were also found. During both lockdowns, PTSS were predicted by perceived stress, loneliness, reduced resilience and the coping strategies of denial and self‐blame. PTSS were associated with younger age, female gender, being single, not having children, and the evaluation of the pandemic as a crisis. The findings highlight the significant public mental health concerns during the COVID‐19 lockdowns. Understanding the risk and protective factors against PTSS and focusing on vulnerable populations should be prioritized by the governments worldwide in the development of evidence‐based interventions.

This study seeks to expand previous research by examining (a) the prevalence rates of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its potential predictors (posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS], perceived stress, adaptive coping strategies, social support) during the first and second lockdown in the general population of Greece, and (b) the mediating role of the stress indicators (PTSS/perceived stress) in the relationship between positive reframing and PTG. A sample of 1,361 participants (1.009 in the first lockdown and 352 in the second lockdown) completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory and the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument (ESSI). Moderate levels of PTG were found during both lockdowns. PTG did not significantly increase during the second lockdown. PTG was associated with PTSS during the first lockdown and with perceived stress during the second one; these two stress indicators partially mediated the positive reframing—PTG relationship in the first and second lockdown, respectively. Both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies predicted PTG during the first lockdown, whereas only adaptive coping strategies predicted PTG during the second lockdown. Perceived social support, emotional during the first lockdown and instrumental during the second one, predicted PTG during the two lockdowns, respectively. The results of this study may enhance our understanding of PTG and its predictor to inform the design of interventions moving beyond growth cognitions into growth actions.