EXPLORING COPING MECHANISMS IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS STEMMING FROM HOUSEHOLD INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: People of lower SES are disproportionately exposed to cumulative physical and emotional stressors that magnify pre-existing vulnerabilities to interpersonal conflict and domestic violence. There is a paucity of research on the coping strategies used by economically deprived people to cope with household conflict in South Asian contexts.

OBJECTIVES: To explore coping strategies of low socioeconomic status subjects in the Pakistani context, with special reference to interaction between family conflict and economic stress.

METHODS: A qualitative design was conducted using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). 18 persons (n=18) took part in community assistance programs affiliated with NUML, Islamabad and partner groups in the Islamabad–Rawalpindi region. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out and analysed using IPA.

RESULTS: Five coping themes emerged: spiritual/faith-based coping, mobilisation of social support, avoidance and emotional desensitisation, problem-focused behavioural strategies, and meaning-making via adversity. A repeated conflict was noticed between the stigma of vulnerability and the desire to seek help. Systemic barriers, like access to mental health services, housing instability, financial dependency on abusive partners, and patriarchal norms, perpetuated cycles of pain.

CONCLUSION: The present study makes a substantial contribution to the current literature on stress and coping methods in the South Asian civilizations. There is a critical need for trauma-informed and culturally relevant interventions that address the material and social situations of low-income Pakistani populations