Unveiling the Lived Experiences of Psychological Trauma among War Victims in Pakistan: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

The present research aims to explore the lived experiences of psychological trauma among war victims in Pakistan. A Sample of 12 participants (6 males and 6 females), aged 25- 35 (M=27.8, SD= 2.16), was recruited from the Ex-FATA regions of Pakistan through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to analyse the lived experiences of psychological trauma. The results showed that war-related traumatic experiences of participants persisted even when they were not directly exposed to violence. They continued to impact their psychological and emotional well-being. Participants were living under persistent fear and experienced hypervigilance to potential danger, which could carry traumatic experiences back into the present. Moreover, they endured grief and emotional distress as an outcome of bereavement and loss of loved ones and belongings due to war and displacement. After the traumatic experiences, people suffered from anxiety, anger, frustration, depression, and psychological disruption, as well as difficulties in starting their routine life over. Achieving a sense of normality even after the initial trauma was also difficult for the individuals who experienced war atrocities. Therefore, results depict that psychological trauma was experienced not merely as a reaction to the past event but as a continuous psychological experience that formed their perceptions of safety, emotional functioning, and routine life. The research emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive trauma-focused interventions for war-affected populations in Pakistan.