Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Impact of Daily Life Stressors on Mental Health in Armed Conflict:A Case Study of Curfew and Restrictions in Kashmir


Affiliations
1 Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


This paper analyses the impact of Daily Life Stressors on mental health of people living in Kashmir. As evident trom various studies, daily stressors act as mediator between the war exposure and the symptoms of mental health illness. It has been seen that daily life stressors influence the mental health, compared to potential trauma events. Daily life stressor acts as a precipitating and perpetuating factor for mental health illnesses. Using the “Bio Psycho-Social Model” and the Model adopted by Fernando et al. this study shows the relation between the daily stressors and mental health. Kashmir under active armed conflict makes population to encounter daily life stressors in one or other form. This paper will discuss the setting of persistent curfew and restrictions in Kashmir as daily stressors, how it influences the lives and its cumulative impact on the psychology of people using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The study is empirical, highlighting the subjective lived experiences of the people. It is qualitative in nature, utilizes interview as a method of procuring data. This study reveals various mental health issues people in Curfew situations are encountered with.

Keywords

Daily Life Stressors, Curfew and Restrictions, Mental Health, Armed Conflict, Kashmir.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Almeida, D. M., & Horn, M. C. (2004). Is daily life more stressful during middle adulthood? InO. G. Brim, C. D. Ryff, andR. C. Kessler(Eds.),.How healthy are we? A national study of well-being at midlife (pp. 425-451). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

  • Almeida, D. M., Wethington, E., & Kessler, R. C. (2002). The daily inventory of stressful events an interview-based approach for measuring daily stressors. Assessment, 9(1), 41-55. http://dx.doi.0rg/lO.l 177/

  • Amin, S., & Khan, A. W. (2009). Life in conflict: Characteristics of depression in K.ashmir. InternationalJournal of Health Sciences, 3(2), 213-223.

  • Anjum, A., & Varma, S. (2010). Curfewed in Kashmir: Voices from the valley. andPolitical Weekly, xlv(35), 10-14.

  • Avison, W. R., & Turner, R. J. (1988). Stressful life events and depressive symptoms: Disaggregating the effects of acute stressors and chronic strains. .Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 29, 253-264.

  • Baker, A., & Shalhoub-Kevorkian, N. (1999). Effects of political and military traumas on children: The Palestinian case. Cli-nical Psychology Review, 19(8), 935-950.

  • Bhat, R. M., & Rangaiah, B. (2015). The impact of conflict exposure and social support on posttraumatic growth among the young adults in Kashmir. Cogent Psychology, 2(1), 1000-1077.

  • Bose, S. (2003). Kashmir: Roots of conflict, paths t:o peace. Cambridge.

  • Boga, D. (2016). Long ter-m effects of curfew. New Internationalist. Accessed from http://www.newint.org/blog/majority/2010/12/07/effect-of-curfews.

  • Bolger,N.,DeLongis, A., Kessler, R. C., & Schilling, E.A. (1989). Effects of daily stress on negative mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(5), 808-818.

  • Bukhari, S. (2016). Curfew in Kashmir. Accessed from http://www.theffidaytmes.com/tft/curfew-in-kashmir/

  • Cassel, J. (1964). Social science theory as a source of hypotheses in epidemiological research. American Journal of Public IHealth and the Nations Health, 54(9), 14821488.

  • Charles, S. T., Piazza, J. R., Mogle, J., Sliwinski,M. J., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). The wear and tear ofdaily stressors onmsw:a3Qa.^.PsychologicalScience,24(5), 133-lAX.

  • De Jong, K., Ford, N., Van de Kam, S., Lokuge, K., Fromm, S., Van Galen, R., & Kleber, R. (2008). Conflict in the Indian Kashmir Valley I: Exposure to violence. Conflict and Health,2(),Q-2.

  • Dhar, S.A., Dar, T.A., Wani, S.A., Hussain, S., Wani, Z.A., Aazad, S., Yaqoob, S., Mansoor, I., Ali, M.F., Ahmed, M., Mumtaz, I., & Azhar, I. (2012). In the line of duty: A study of ambulance drivers during the 2010 conflict in Kashmir. Prehospital Disaster Medicine, 27(A), 1-4.

  • Dogar, I. (2007). Bio psycho-social model. A.P.M.C., Annals of Punjab Medical College, 1(1), 11-13.

  • Engel, G. L. (1989). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Holistic Medicine, 4(1), 37-53.

  • Engel, G. L. (1980). The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137(5), 535-544.

  • Farhood, L., Zurayk, H., Chaya, M., Saadeh, F., Meshefedjian, G., & Sidani, T. (1993). The impact of war on the physical and mental health of the family: The Lebanese experience. Social Science and Medicine, 36(12), 1555-1567.

  • Fullerton, C. S., & Ursano, R. J. (2005). Psychological and psychopathological consequences of disasters. In J. J. Lopez-Ibor, G. Christodoulou, M. Maj, N. Sartorius, andA. Okasha (Eds.), Disasters and mental health (pp. 13-36). New York, NY, US: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

  • Fava, G., & Sonino, N. (2008). Psychotherap-y and psychosomatics. Accessible at www.karger.com/pps

  • Grossman, E. R., & Miller, N. A. (2015). A systematic review of the impact of juvenile curfew laws on public health and justice outcomes. American .Journal of Preventive Medicine, 49(6), 945-951.

  • Hamama-Raz, Y., Solomon, Z., Cohen, A., & Laufer, A. (2008). PTSD symptoms, forgiveness, and revenge among Israeli Palestinian and Jewish adolescents. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(6), 521-529.

  • Kaplan, B. H., Cassel, J. C., &Gore, S. (1977). Social support and health.Medical Care, YU(5), 47-58.

  • Lu, L. (1994). University tranisition: Major and minor life stressors, personality characteristics and mental health. Psychological Medicine, 24, 81-87.

  • Margoob, M., & Ahmad, S.A. (2006). Community prevalence of adult post traumatic stress disorder in South Asia: Experience from Kashmir. JK Practitioner, 13, S18- S25.

  • Margoob, M.A., Beg, A.A., & Dutta, K.S. (1993). Depressive disorders in Kashmir: A changing socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients over the past two decades .Jammu Kashmir Practitioner, 2(1), 22-24.

  • Marjorie, C. (1989). Social care: Family and community support systems. American Academy of Political and Social Science, 503, 99-112.

  • Miller, K. E., & Rasmussen, A. (2010). War exposure, daily stressors, and mental health in conflict and post-conflict settings: Bridging the divide between trauma-focused and psychosocial frameworks. Social Science and Medicine, 70(1), 7-16.

  • Mroczek, D. K., & Almeida, D. M. (2004). The effect of daily stress, personality, and age on daily negative affect. Journal of Personality, 72(2), 355-378.

  • Myin-Germeys, I., van Os, J., Schwartz, J. E., Stone, A. A., & Delespaul, P. A. (2001). Emotional reactivity to daily life stress in psychosis, Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(12), 1137-1144.

  • Nabeel, F., Riaz, H., & Muneer, Z. (undated). The Martyrdom of Burhan Wani and the Recent Indian Violence In Indian Held Kashmir. CSCR. Accessed at www.cscr.pk.

  • Noorani, A. G. (1984). Curfew as tool of repression. Economic and Political Weekly, 44(34), 8-10.

  • Punamaki, R. L., Kanninen, K., Qouta, S., & El-Sarraj, E. (2002). The role of psychological defences in moderating between trauma and post-traumatic symptoms among' Palestinian men. International Journal of Psychology, 37(5), 286296.

  • Qouta, S., & El Sarraj, E. (2004). Prevalence of PTSD among Palestinian children in Gaza Strip. Arabpsynet Journal, 2,8-13.

  • Rather, F. (2013). Armed conflict in J& K and its impact on society: A case study of Kashmir valley. International Journal ofScientific and Research Publications, 2(2), 1-3.

  • Repetti, R. L. (1993). Short-term effects of occupational stressors on daily mood and health complaints. .Health Psychology, 12(2), 125-131.

  • Sidney, C. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 25,300-314.

  • Sheikh, S., Raheel, M., Mohammad, M.D., Mir, J.A., Shah, T., Singh, R., Ahmad, J., & Kyser, S. (2013). Psychosocial and medical factors affecting treatment compliance in patients attending psychiatric hospital: A study from Kashmir. International Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 3, Issue 1.

  • Stawski, R. S., Sliwinski, M. J., Almeida, D. M., & Smyth, J. M. (2008). Reported exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors: The roles of adult age and global perceived stress. Psychology and Aging, 22(1), 52-61.

  • Suls, J., & Rothman, A. (2004). Evolution of the biopsychosocial model: Prospects and challengesfor health psychology..Health Psychology, 23(2), 119-125.

  • Thoits, P. (1995). Stress, social support and coping processes: What are we? What next? Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 35, 53-79. American Psychological Association.


Abstract Views: 382

PDF Views: 0




  • Impact of Daily Life Stressors on Mental Health in Armed Conflict:A Case Study of Curfew and Restrictions in Kashmir

Abstract Views: 382  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Aabid Bhat
Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Zubair Meenai
Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Abstract


This paper analyses the impact of Daily Life Stressors on mental health of people living in Kashmir. As evident trom various studies, daily stressors act as mediator between the war exposure and the symptoms of mental health illness. It has been seen that daily life stressors influence the mental health, compared to potential trauma events. Daily life stressor acts as a precipitating and perpetuating factor for mental health illnesses. Using the “Bio Psycho-Social Model” and the Model adopted by Fernando et al. this study shows the relation between the daily stressors and mental health. Kashmir under active armed conflict makes population to encounter daily life stressors in one or other form. This paper will discuss the setting of persistent curfew and restrictions in Kashmir as daily stressors, how it influences the lives and its cumulative impact on the psychology of people using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The study is empirical, highlighting the subjective lived experiences of the people. It is qualitative in nature, utilizes interview as a method of procuring data. This study reveals various mental health issues people in Curfew situations are encountered with.

Keywords


Daily Life Stressors, Curfew and Restrictions, Mental Health, Armed Conflict, Kashmir.

References