Exploring the Heterogeneity and Trajectories of Positive Functioning Variables, Emotional Distress, and Post-traumatic Growth During Strict Confinement Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 pandemic-related confinement may be a fruitful opportunity to use individual resources to deal with it or experience psychological functioning changes. This study aimed to analyze the evolution of different psychological variables during the first coronavirus wave to identify the different psychological response clusters, as well as to keep a follow-up on the changes among these clusters. The sample included 459 Spanish residents (77.8% female, Mage = 35.21 years, SDage = 13.00). Participants completed several online self-reported questionnaires to assess positive functioning variables (MLQ, Steger et al. in J Loss Trauma 13(6):511–527, 2006. 10.1080/15325020802173660; GQ-6, McCullough et al. in J Person Soc Psychol 82:112–127, 2002. 10.1037/0022-3514.82.1.112; CD-RISC, Campbell-Sills and Stein in J Traum Stress 20(6):1019–1028, 2007. 10.1002/jts.20271; CLS-H, Chiesi et al. in BMC Psychol 8(1):1–9, 2020. 10.1186/s40359-020-0386-9; SWLS; Diener et al. in J Person Assess, 49(1), 71–75, 1985), emotional distress (PHQ-2, Kroenke et al. in Med Care 41(11):1284–1292, 2003. 10.1097/01.MLR.0000093487.78664.3C; GAD-2, Kroenke et al. in Ann Internal Med 146(5):317–325, 2007. 10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004; PANAS, Watson et al. in J Person Soc Psychol 47:1063–1070, 1988; Perceived Stress, ad hoc), and post-traumatic growth (PTGI-SF; Cann et al. in Anxiety Stress Coping 23(2):127–137, 2010. 10.1080/10615800903094273), four times throughout the 3 months of the confinement. Linear mixed models showed that the scores on positive functioning variables worsened from the beginning of the confinement, while emotional distress and personal strength improved by the end of the state of alarm. Clustering analyses revealed four different patterns of psychological response: “Survival”, “Resurgent”, “Resilient”, and “Thriving” individuals. Four different profiles were identified during mandatory confinement and most participants remained in the same cluster. The “Resilient” cluster gathered the largest number of individuals (30–37%). We conclude that both the heterogeneity of psychological profiles and analysis of positive functioning variables, emotional distress, and post-traumatic growth must be considered to better understand the response to prolonged adverse situations.