This study aims to explore the relationship between social support, meaningful life, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and resilience among young adult survivors of a terror attack. A random sample of 392 young adults who survived the Fulani herdsmen attack three years prior to this study was drawn from a community in Southeastern Nigeria. Individuals reported high levels of PTG (M = 68.00; SD = 17.04) and resilience (M = 68.64; SD = 16.77). Social support had a significant positive relationship with PTG and resilience, yet this relationship was fully mediated by a meaningful life. The findings highlight the importance of identifying potential avenues for growth and resilience in survivors of herdsmen attacks and the key roles social support and meaningful life play in promoting PTG and resilience.

Objective: The Fulani herdsmen are pastoralists who move from place to place in search of vegetation for their herds cattle. The random movement of cattle has frequently led to the destruction of crops belonging to farmers. This has resulted to violent clashes between the two groups. Such events are capable of impacting on the wellbeing of the older adult survivors and affected individuals may need adequate psychological resources such as mindfulness and positive emotions such as positive appraisal to be able to cope successfully. There is substantial evidence supporting the association of mindfulness and psychological wellbeing, but little is known about the mechanism through which mindfulness exert its influence on wellbeing. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of positive reappraisal in the relation between mindfulness and wellbeing among older adult survivors of Fulani herdsmen attack. Methods: A sample of older adult survivors of Fulani herdsmen attack (N = 308, mean age = 59.72 years) were drawn from a community in southeast, Nigeria. Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness, positive reappraisal, life satisfaction, perceived stress and depression. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that Mindfulness and positive reappraisal were independently associated with wellbeing (better life satisfaction, lower perceived stress and fewer depressive symptoms), yet this association was fully mediated by positive reappraisal. Conclusion: The findings underscore the potential value of mindfulness meditation intervention programs for the vulnerable as it is capable of promoting positive emotional live and wellbeing in late life.

Understanding the psychosocial factors that predict recovery and promote growth from trauma is critical to effective management of oncology patients. Although previous studies have shown that mindfulness and meaning in life could be predictors of post-traumatic growth (PTG), no study to date has explored the combined role of mindfulness and meaning in life in the development of PTG among cancer patients. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 957 cancer patients (46.8% male, 53.2% female) who completed relevant self-report measures. Results showed that the presence of meaning in life mediated the relationship between mindfulness and PTG. However, the mediation effect of search for meaning in life was not significant. These findings indicate that the presence of meaning in life is an essential mechanism of mindfulness in facilitating PTG. Therefore, psychosocial interventions geared towards promoting PTG should consider mindfulness as a potential effective component in improving cancer patients’ ability to find meaning in life and possibly promote recovery.

The beneficial effect of mindfulness in promoting posttraumatic growth has been well established in research, but it remains unclear what psychological mechanisms mediate it. This study examined the mediating roles of positive reappraisal and self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer. A random sample of 550 patients drawn from two medical health care institutions in southeast, Nigeria participated in this study. Results of mediation analysis showed that positive reappraisal and self-compassion independently mediated the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth. These findings underscore the usefulness of mindfulness-based therapies in promoting cognitive emotional processes such as positive reappraisal abilities and self-compassion, which are essential in facilitating posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer.

The study examined whether emotional reactivity is associated with surgical anxiety among patients scheduled for elective surgery, and whether any of the dimensions of perceived social support moderates this relationship. Participants consisted of 210 adult patients (females = 117, 55.7%) admitted for surgery at University of Nigerian Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozala, Enugu State, Nigeria. Applying cross-sectional design, participants completed the Anxiety Specific to Surgery Questionnaire, Emotion Reactivity Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support approximately 24 h before their respective surgery. Results showed that emotional reactivity was positively associated with surgical anxiety at low and moderate but not at high levels of perceived family social support. Emotional reactivity was positively associated with surgical anxiety only at low level of friends and significant others support but not at moderate or high levels of perceived support from friends or significant others. We concluded that anxiety reduction intervention programmes for surgical patients should consider integrating social support for its protective nature in improving surgical outcome.