From Persecution to Perseverance: A Study of Adversity and Adaptive Coping in Karachi’s Shia Community
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This cross-sectional quantitative study examined sectarian differences in perceived religious discrimination and psychological resilience among Sunni and Shia Muslims in Karachi, Pakistan. It was hypothesized that (H1) Shias would report higher discrimination, (H2) Shias would exhibit greater resilience despite this, and (H3) discrimination would predict lower resilience in Sunnis but not Shias. A purposive sample of 200 adults (100 Shia, 100 Sunni) completed the Religious Discrimination Scale (α = .904) and Brief Resilience Scale (α = .820). Shias reported higher discrimination (M = 2.45) than Sunnis (M = 1.33; d ≈ 1.70) and greater resilience (M = 4.08 vs. 3.39; d ≈ 0.90). Discrimination predicted lower resilience in Sunnis (β= –.47, p = .008) but not in Shias (β ≈ –.01, p = .914). Findings highlight Shias’ collective resilience and support sect-specific psychosocial interventions. Generative AI (ChatGPT) was used solely for structuring, paraphrasing, and refining academic tone.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Syed Zeeshan Raza Zaidi, Zoya Fatima
Language: English
Topic: Resilience and Mental Health
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7128370360