Psychological dynamics of pandemic resilience: a tale of two cultures

ABSTRACT

The present work endeavours to explore the experiences of university-level students from Pakistan and Nepal after the COVID-19 outbreak. A comprehensive electronic survey was carried out utilising a meticulous cluster sampling technique encompassing two distinct populations, i.e. Pakistan and Nepal, during the period extending from September 2022 to January 2023. A total of 2496 participants completed the questionnaire (Pakistani population: 55.45% and Nepalese population: 44.55%). We utilised the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), feeling of loneliness (UCLA), interdependent happy scale (IHS), and fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Notably, a significant intercultural disparity was observed, particularly concerning the level of COVID-19 fear which was higher among the Nepalese population. However, this particular variable did not demonstrate any significant associations with other variables, except for the social dimension of MHC-SF. There was a negative correlation observed between this variable and IHS within the Pakistani population. Irrespective of the varying degrees of apprehension towards COVID-19 within the two distinct cultural contexts, there exists a significant positive correlation between the assessed psychological assets and individual well-being, as well as the resumption of regular activities after the outbreak.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 outbreak
• mental health continuum
• COVID-19 fear
• loneliness
• sleep quality
• Interdependent happiness

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank the participants for their cooperation and support.

Availability of data and materials

The raw data supporting the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request from the authors.

Consent for publication

All authors have read and approved the submission of this manuscript.

Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee at Hazara University (Ref: 3492). The consent form was obtained from all participants involved in the study. All research procedures followed the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shazia Rehman

Shazia Rehman is a biostatistician and currently serving as a postdoctoral at the Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China. Her research primarily centers on addictive disorders, the concurrent presence of anxiety and depression in adolescents and young adulthood, pediatric major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and the impact of procrastination on mental wellness.

Erum Rehman

Erum Rehman is a statistician and currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan. Her research specifically focuses on the application of statistics across various disciplines such as environmental sciences and public health.

Akhlaq Awan

Akhlaq Awan, a distinguished pharmacist, is renowned for his extensive research in pharmacology sciences. Currently serving as the Head of the Department at Hazara University, he has made significant contributions to the field, advancing knowledge and practice in pharmacy and related disciplines.