为了考察雅安地震后青少年的共情、情绪表达、认知重评与创伤后成长（PTG）之间的关系，研究采用人际反应指数量表、 伯克利情绪表达量表、情绪调节问卷和创伤后成长问卷对雅安市芦山县的 693 名中学生进行测查。结果发现，在控制创伤暴露程 度之后，共情可以直接正向预测 PTG，也可以分别通过积极情绪表达和认知重评间接地正向预测 PTG，还可以通过积极情绪表达 经认知重评间接地正向预测 PTG。不过，消极情绪表达在共情与 PTG 之间的中介作用不显著。

After traumatic events, people tend to show negative psychological reactions. However, some positive psychological changes are also found. Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is one prevalent positive change after trauma. In order to find the reason why traumatized survivors showed PTG, many researchers devoted their efforts to examine the predictive factors of PTG. Reviewing previous literature in PTG, we found that coping strategies were the potential factor for the formation of PTG, and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were the most attractive two strategies. Studies indicated that problem-focused coping can help to handle with negative traumatic reactions, and in turn lead to post-traumatic adjustment and growth following natural disasters, while emotion-focused coping played a negative role in growth. In fact, people after trauma will also seek to build a positive relationship with others, which may exert effects on their problems-focused or emotion-focused coping strategy. This can also be considered as a coping strategy called relationship-focused coping. Empathy is one noteworthy relationship-focused coping strategy, and its relationship with PTG is becoming a hot topic in trauma psychology.
Most studies considered traumatized individuals as those who were empathized, and few assessed the empathy of traumatized ones. Indeed, traumatized survivors with a high level of empathy might communicate more with others to increase their sense of intimacy, thus perceiving more support from others, and were more likely to achieve PTG. Therefore, empathy was suggested to have a direct effect on PTG. Specifically, empathy had emotional and cognitive components according to relevant empathy theories. Once one had empathy for others, its components would be activated. Such activation might lead to individuals’ emotional disclosure and cognitive reappraisal, and in turn led to PTG. That is, empathy might also have an indirect effect on PTG by emotional disclosure and cognitive reappraisal. In addition, disclosure of emotions and experiences to others would promote individuals’ acceptance of others’ help, which provided an opportunity for them to develop positive cognition on trauma experiences. Hence, we proposed the relation of emotional disclosure to cognitive reappraisal. Nevertheless, the predictive utility still remained unclear. Furthermore, as emotional disclosure had negative and positive aspects, it was also unknown how the two types of disclosure played different roles in the relationship between empathy and PTG.
Given this background, the aim of this study was to examine the mediating roles of emotional disclosure and cognitive reappraisal between empathy and PTG among adolescents following Ya’an earthquake. This study used an interpersonal reactivity index scale, a Berkeley emotional expression scale, an emotional regulation questionnaire, and a posttraumatic growth inventory, to assess 693 adolescents following Ya’an earthquake.
Results of structural equation model indicated that after controlling for trauma exposure, empathy had a direct effect on PTG, and had indirect effects on PTG by positive emotional expression and cognitive reappraisal as a mediator respectively. In addition, empathy had indirect effects on PTG by a multiple mediating path from positive emotional expression to cognitive reappraisal. Nevertheless, empathy did not significantly affect PTG by negative emotional expression.