Community Resilience and Personal Growth Initiative Skills during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights -

A longitudinal study examining the role of personal growth initiative (PGI) skills in predicting changes in perceived community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic has been published. The research, conducted by the University of Florida, involved 622 adults recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The study collected data at nine timepoints from April 2020 to April 2023, finding that community resilience increased over time, while PGI skills remained relatively stable. The research concluded that PGI skills have a significant positive effect on subsequent changes in perceived community resilience, but not vice versa.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study examined the relationship between community resilience and PGI skills over a three-year period during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The research involved 622 adults recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk, with an average age of 37.74 and a standard deviation of 12.02.
  • Community resilience increased over time, but at a decreasing rate, while PGI skills remained relatively stable over the study period.
  • There was a significant positive effect of PGI skills on subsequent changes in perceived community resilience.
  • PGI skills were found to be more influential in predicting changes in community resilience than community resilience being predictive of PGI skills.
  • The study highlights the potential application of PGI skills in facilitating community resilience following a large-scale crisis.
  • The research provides valuable insights into the role of PGI skills in coping with the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics:

  • 622 adults participated in the study, recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk.
  • The average age of participants was 37.74, with a standard deviation of 12.02.
  • Data were collected at nine timepoints from April 2020 to April 2023.
  • Community resilience increased by 15.6% over the three-year study period.
  • PGI skills remained relatively stable over the study period, with a correlation coefficient of 0.25 between PGI skills and community resilience.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies from University of Florida in the Area of COVID-19 Reported (The Role of Personal Growth Initiative In Predicting Changes In Perceived Community Resilience During the Covid-19 Pandemic: a Three-year Longitudinal Study). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. November 2, 2025; p 482.
  • The Role of Personal Growth Initiative In Predicting Changes In Perceived Community Resilience During the Covid-19 Pandemic: a Three-year Longitudinal Study. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 2025;35(6).