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VOL. 12, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Trauma resilience and mental health promotion tailored to Gujjar/Bakarwal communities
Authors
Arif Mahmood
Abstract
The Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes are the third
largest ethnic groups in Jammu & Kashmir making up about 11.9% of the
population. However, they also rank as one of the most economically deprived
and psychosocially vulnerable populations within India. Due to their nomadic
pastoral lifestyle and geographic isolation, coupled with their high exposure
to armed conflict and socio-economic deprivation, this community faces a unique
combination of traumatic events with little to no access to culturally sensitive
mental health services. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey
methodology to assess trauma exposure, psychological resiliency and overall
mental health status of 160 adult Gujjars & Bakharwals (80 from Rajouri
district; 80 from Poonch district). Three standard tools were utilized: the
Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ); the Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale
(CD-RISC-25); and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). A significant
number of participants (62.5%) reported significant trauma exposure; however,
the mean resilience score (M= 58.47, SD = 14.32) was significantly lower than
the means found in previous studies involving Indian populations. GHQ-12
results indicated that 54.4% of participants had probable psychological
distress as per the scale. Gender differences were noted in that females
experienced greater psychological distress and demonstrated lower levels of
resiliency compared to males. These findings highlight an immediate need for
culturally grounded community-based mental health programs designed to meet the
specific socio-cultural and environmental needs of the Gujjar/Bakarwal
populations.
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Pages:253-260
How to cite this article:
Arif Mahmood "Trauma resilience and mental health promotion tailored to Gujjar/Bakarwal communities". International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Research, Vol 12, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 253-260
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