Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only resulted in immeasurable life and property losses worldwide but has also impacted individuals’ development, especially teenagers. After the COVID-19 pandemic, individual rumination as an important cognitive process should be given more attention because of its close associations with physical and mental health. Previous studies have shown that creativity as an antecedent variable can predict people’s mental health or adaptation. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between creativity and individual cognitive rumination after traumatic events, and the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. By using the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS), the Event Related Rumination Inventory, and the Questionnaire of Adolescent Emotional Resilience, the current study explored the relationship between creativity and intrusive rumination among 1488 Chinese teenagers during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzed the moderating effect of emotional resilience on the relationship. The results showed that creativity, as assessed by the RIBS, was positively related to teenagers’ intrusive rumination, which implied that a higher level of creative performance could predict more intrusive rumination. Moreover, emotional resilience acted as a moderator in the relationship between creativity and intrusive rumination; the correlation was stronger when emotional resilience was low. These findings provide more evidence of the relationship between creativity and mental health and show the effect of this traumatic event on teenagers.

Background Until now, the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting the study and life of Chinese adolescents. Adolescents in high school were likely to experience intrusive rumination to cope with undesirable changes, which could increase the risk of depression. However, few studies have examined the effects of a sense of security and creativity underlying this relationship. This study aims to explore the relationship between intrusive rumination and depression and further examines the mediating role of the sense of security and the moderating role of the creativity in adolescents. This study could provide detailed guidance for government and media to avoid adolescents’ excessive post event reflection on public health incidents. Methods This study investigated 1,269 high school students (748 girls and 521 boys) using the questionnaire method, including revised Event-Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI), Security Questionnaire (SQ), Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results The results showed that intrusive rumination was positively associated with adolescents' depression, and a sense of security could mediate this relationship. Moreover, a possible cut-off of creativity that serves as a breakpoint below and above that can pinpoint where the association between sense of security and depression in adolescents. In particular, compared to less creative adolescents, highly creative adolescents showed higher indirect effects of intrusive rumination on depression. The association between a sense of security and depression is also more robust for highly creative adolescents. Conclusions These results demonstrate that a sense of security may be a protective factor for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also differences in adolescents' responses to adverse events with different levels of creativity.