Psychological Hardiness, Grit and Psychological Wellbeing among Women from Waziristan Pursuing Higher Education

Abstract

This cross-sectional study compared psychological hardiness, grit, and psychological well-being between internally displaced women from Waziristan and non-displaced women pursuing higher education. It also investigates relationships among these variables and their impact on psychological well-being in each group. The study sample comprised 300 single women (ages 20–29) from Pakistani universities, who were assessed using the Dispositional resilience (Hardiness) Scale, Grit Scale, and Ryff psychological well-being. The key findings indicated that the non-displaced women group exhibited higher levels of psychological hardiness, grit, and psychological well-being compared to the displaced women. The correlation results showed significant relationship between Psychological Hardiness and Psychological Well-being in both the groups; the displaced women group (r = 0.63) and the non-displaced women group (r = 0.65). Furthermore, Grit in the displaced women group (r = 0.71) and the non-displaced women group (r = 0.58) also indicate significant correlations with Psychological Well-being. Regression analysis indicated that psychological hardiness and grit predicted well-being in both groups. Additionally, in the non-displaced group father's education is a contributing factor to Psychological Well-being, whereas in the displaced group, no such association was found. It was concluded that the decreased level of Psychological hardiness, Grit, and Psychological Well-being in internally displaced women can be attributed to the effects of war and displacement. Displacement from their native place results in emergence of particular vulnerabilities for those affected, thereafter necessitating specific measures should be taken. This study findings will be significant for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing psychological hardiness and grit. Community hardiness and grit building workshop can be developed to strengthen theses personality traits in internally displaced women. Furthermore, this paper will give recommendations for policy makers and concerned authorities to reach practical solutions.