Exploring the correlations between social support, resilience, well-being, and mental health variables among youth in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir

Background: The border areas of Jammu and Kashmir have long been affected by conflict, potentially impacting the mental health of youth. Understanding the relationships between social health factors and mental health outcomes in these regions is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the correlations between social health factors (social support, resilience, and well-being) and mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, and depression) among youth living in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

Methods: A sample of 300 individuals aged 18 to 25 years was recruited, with 150 participants from the Line of Control (LoC) border in Rajouri district and 150 from the International Border (IB) in Jammu district. Participants completed six standardized measures: the Resilience Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Pearson Correlation was computed with statistical significance at p < .05.

Results: Significant positive correlations were found between social support, resilience, and well-being in both IB and LoC groups. Depression was positively correlated with anxiety in both groups. However, stress was positively correlated with depression and anxiety only in the LoC group.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of social health factors in maintaining mental well-being among youth in conflict-affected regions. The study suggests that interventions targeting social support, resilience, and well-being may effectively promote mental health in these areas. Additionally, the results underscore the need for context-specific approaches in addressing mental health challenges in different conflict-affected environments.