Refugees, Trauma, and Positive Psychological Change: Mindfulness as a Moderator for Posttraumatic Growth.
Ertan Yılmaz, Ufuk Bal, Emre Dirican
Healthcare February 3, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare14030379 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 240 |
| Population | Syrian refugees living in Turkey for an extended period |
| Measures | Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) |
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Trauma Refugee Ptg |
| Key findings | PTSD symptoms were negatively associated with posttraumatic growth both directly (β = -0.291) and indirectly through mindfulness (β = -0.254), with a total effect of -0.545. The authors report that mindfulness showed a positive association with posttraumatic growth once MAAS scores exceeded 78, and conclude that mindfulness is a key factor in posttraumatic growth among refugees. |
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Traumatic experiences may lead to both negative and positive outcomes. Positive psychological changes following trauma are commonly referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). The present study aims to examine factors associated with posttraumatic growth among Syrian refugees who have been living in Turkey for an extended period.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of 240 Syrian refugees. Participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Path analysis was conducted to examine the effects of PTSD symptoms and mindfulness levels on posttraumatic growth. In addition, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) analysis was used to identify threshold values for the contributions of these variables to posttraumatic growth.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.9 ± 10.4 years, and 47% were female. The direct effect of PTSD symptoms on posttraumatic growth was negative and statistically significant (β = -0.291, p < 0.001). PTSD symptoms also had an indirect effect on posttraumatic growth through mindfulness (β = -0.254), resulting in a total effect of -0.545. According to the MARS model, when MAAS scores exceeded 78, mindfulness demonstrated a positive effect on posttraumatic growth.
Conclusions: The findings indicate that PTSD symptoms among refugees are associated with posttraumatic growth through both direct and indirect pathways. Furthermore, mindfulness emerges as a key factor in understanding the development of posttraumatic growth in this population.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- The Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory: Extensions, Applications, and Challenges at the Attention–Appraisal–Emotion Interface Psychological Inquiry October 2, 2015
- Does self-report mindfulness mediate the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on spirituality and posttraumatic growth in cancer patients? The Journal of Positive Psychology June 30, 2014
- The use of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for breast cancer patients-meta-analysis. BMC Psychology November 1, 2024
and 3 more in the library