Developing a Post-Traumatic Growth Model Based on Emotional Schemas among Women Mourning the Death of Their Spouse Due to Corona Disease: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

The death of a spouse can have many psychological consequences. In such a situation, some people may experience post-traumatic growth despite facing a painful event. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors involved in this phenomenon. The present study was conducted with the aim of developing a model of post-traumatic growth based on emotional schemas with the mediating role of self-compassion among women mourning the death of their husbands due to corona disease. The design of the study was descriptive-correlation and structural equation modeling. The sample consisted of 330 women mourning the death of their husband due to corona disease, who responded to questionnaires of post-traumatic growth, emotional schemas, and self-compassion. Pearson's correlation coefficient and structural equation method were used to analyze the data. According to the results, the direct effect of uncontrollability, irrationality, non-acceptance of emotions, guilt, expressing emotions and seeking approval on self-compassion and post-traumatic growth and the direct effect of self-compassion on post-traumatic growth were significant. The indirect effect of uncontrollability, irrationality, non-acceptance of emotions, guilt, expressing emotions and seeking approval on post-traumatic growth was significant. Therefore, self-compassion had a significant role as a mediating variable in the relationship between emotional schemas and post-traumatic growth. According to the results, it can be said that in order to promote post-traumatic growth in bereaved people, it is possible to design interventions based on the modification of emotional schemas and self-compassion.