Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Date of Submission

2025-07-29

Advisor

Dr Shameel Khan

Committee

Dr Tehzeeb Sakina Amir

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Psychosomatic pain, psychogenic pain, somatic pain, mind and body interaction

Abstract

Pain is a type of sensation felt by humans worldwide on a daily basis. The causes of it are commonly perceived to be physical such as that resulting from cuts, scratches, accidents, injuries or tissue damage. Rarely do we try to understand our bodies in a holistic manner taking the physical as well as mental factors into account. Hence, this research has been done to understand the pain that emerges from the manifestation of our thoughts, feelings and emotions on our physical bodies. This type of pain is termed as ‘psychosomatic pain’ and my research explores its understanding, beliefs and perception in the Pakistani context.

A qualitative method of data collection was adopted for this research. 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted in which participants were asked about their experience of psychosomatic pain, their understanding of it and their relief mechanisms. The qualitative data obtained through the interviews was then thematically analyzed.

This research serves to add the context of Pakistan in the deep literature of psychosomatic pain. Several research have been conducted under the domain of psychosomatic pain analyzing the belief systems of people living in various countries including Germany, America, Africa etc. but not Pakistan. As Pakistan is a developing country, the mental health resources and understanding of psychosomatic pain is quite different when compared to other countries. Moreover, the study of psychosomatic pain gives an opportunity to understand mental health awareness amongst the young generation of Pakistan.

Pages

63

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