Thriving beyond the pandemic: Exploring post-traumatic growth in college students with and without disabilities.

Objectives: Identify post-traumatic growth (PTG) and the roles of mindfulness, social support, and loneliness in PTG among college students with and without disabilities post-COVID-19. Participants: Six hundred college students enrolled at two universities in Texas. Methods: Participants completed self-report questionnaires via an online Qualtrics survey. Descriptive, bivariate correlation, independent t-test, and regression analyses were conducted. Results: The average PTG score was 28.34 (SD = 12.66), with 45.2% scoring 32 or above, indicating personal growth. Students with disabilities had significantly lower PTG scores (p < .001). For these students, identifying as Black, family loss due to COVID-19, and friends support were associated with higher PTG. Among those without disabilities, racial minority status, family loss, and mentor support were associated with higher PTG. Conclusions: Post-pandemic PTG is notably low among college students, especially those with disabilities, underscoring the need for greater support. Strengthening social connections may improve their PTG, mental health, and academic success.