The impact of past trauma on psychological distress among university students during COVID-19: a moderated mediation of cognitive distortion and dispositional mindfulness

Aims: The current study aimed to examine the potential effects of cognitive distortion and dispositional mindfulness on the association between PTSD symptoms and psychological distress among Chinese university students during COVID-19. Methods: Latent moderated structural equation modelling with a longitudinal design was adopted. 208 participants from Chinese universities completed the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5, Cognitive Distortion Scale, Philadelphia Mindfulness Scales, and General Health Questionnaire twice in a 6-month interval. Results: Initial PTSD symptoms following past trauma were positively associated with psychological distress at Time 2 (T2). Distorted cognition at T2 mediated the association between them. Moreover, this mediation effect was moderated by dispositional mindfulness. Specifically, dispositional mindfulness moderated the first stage of the mediating process. That is, mindful awareness and acceptance could effectively mitigate the distorted cognition caused PTSD symptoms from past trauma, and the protective effects of this moderation on higher awareness and acceptance were more obvious. Conclusions: Following traumas, university students can develop PTSD symptoms affecting mental health via distorted perceptions of themselves, others, and the world. Dispositional mindfulness awareness and acceptance could be useful strategies to alleviate PTSD symptoms and trauma effects especially for those who have developed distorted cognitions. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd.