Stigmatization Influencing the Post-Traumatic Symptoms and Adjustment Issues of Individuals Living in Rented Houses

Authors

  • Faiza Zafar University of Gujrat, Pakistan.
  • Wania Habib University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Iram Naz University of Gujrat, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4116-7619

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2026.v14i2.3063

Keywords:

Stigmatization, Adjustment issues, Tenants, Post-Traumatic

Abstract

The study examined stigmatization as the predictor of trauma and adjustment issues of individuals living in rented houses. Cross-sectional research design was used in the study. In all, 200 tenants were selected from a few cities of Punjab, Pakistan. The Demographic Information Form and Scale of Stigmatization for Rented Peoples were developed in this study. The abbreviated “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Checklist Civilian Version” was translated into Urdu, and the “Scale of Adjustment for Adults” (SAA) was administered through a Google form. Pearson correlation was used to find the relationship between three variables. The results indicate that stigmatization has a significant positive correlation with PTSD (r=.89, p< 0.05) and adjustment problems (r=.64, p< 0.05). PTSD has a significant positive correlation with adjustment issues (r = .68, p < 0.05). Regression analysis was performed with stigmatization as the predictor of trauma and adjusted issues. Results revealed that stigmatization is a significant predictor of PTSD in the rented population (R²=.801; F(1,198)). The R² value of .80 revealed that stigmatization has 80% variance in PTSD, and stigmatization is a significant predictor of adjustment issues in the rented population [R²=.419; F(1,198)=142.811]. The R² value of .41 revealed that stigmatization has 41% variance in adjustment problems. Thus, this study will be helpful for the public and government to make the system better for the people living in rented houses.

Author Biographies

Faiza Zafar, University of Gujrat, Pakistan.

M.Phil., Department of Psychology

Wania Habib, University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan.

MS Clinical Psychology

Iram Naz , University of Gujrat, Pakistan.

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology

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Published

2026-05-25

How to Cite

Zafar, F., Habib, W., & Naz , I. (2026). Stigmatization Influencing the Post-Traumatic Symptoms and Adjustment Issues of Individuals Living in Rented Houses. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 14(2), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2026.v14i2.3063