Page 79 - IJPS-11-5

International Journal of
Population Studies Therapeutic resilience during COVID-19

Pakistan, such as Faisalabad, relied on traditional beliefs functioned as a strategy for survival and a means of
and practices, acting as a form of cultural resilience. Thus, strengthening cultural identity and continuity during such
this study examines the community’s understanding of a disruptive period. (Magruder et al., 2017; Iftikhar, 2018;
COVID-19 and the significance of traditional healing Lam et al., 2021)
practices, such as herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and Although initial efforts to address the pandemic
folk knowledge, in promoting resilience. For this purpose, it mainly focused on understanding the virus’s transmission,
employs a qualitative ethnographic approach to investigate prevalence, and fatality rates, there was a notable lack
the complex relationships among health, culture, and of emphasis on how cultures adjusted to the crisis and
survival, highlighting the strategies that the community how the states of emergency impacted the social lives of
implemented to deal with the challenges of the pandemic. the population (Akhter et al., 2022). Nevertheless, the
As of February 28, 2024, Pakistan (the fifth-most pandemic underscored how cultural practices and social
populous nation) reported a total of 30,664 deaths structures can enhance a community’s response or expose
attributed to COVID-19. However, due to underreporting, its vulnerabilities, depending on the activation of these
it is likely that this number is significantly higher (Nasir practices. In this regard, ethnographic research is essential
et al., 2024). Among the general population, people aged for understanding the lived experiences of individuals
60 years and above encountered the greatest risk of serious within their cultural frameworks and highlighting how they
illness or mortality. The virus also underscored significant navigated the intersections of tradition, trauma, and survival
socioeconomic disparities, rendering individuals in during the pandemic. Meanwhile, by focusing on the
poverty more susceptible. This was due to restricted connection between traditional healing, collective trauma,
access to healthcare and preventive measures, and the socioeconomic disparities, and cultural resilience (Strand
challenges of maintaining social distance. In communities & Peacock, 2003), it can reveal the complex nature of the
with limited healthcare infrastructure, traditional healing crisis, particularly in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Thus, the present
practices were essential in offering both physical and study analyzes the community’s response to the pandemic
psychological support, especially when formal medical through an ethnographic perspective, emphasizing the
services were unavailable. adaptive strategies utilized to withstand and recover from
Collective trauma, generally arising from war, poverty, the significant disruptions. The findings emphasize the
natural disasters, or global health crises, such as COVID-19, importance of integrating cultural and social dynamics
has long-lasting impacts on societies (Mukhtar, 2021). into public health strategies, especially in times of crisis, to
In Pakistan, the impacts extended beyond the physical create a more thorough and culturally sensitive approach to
consequences of the virus and significantly affected the disaster management.
social structures that kept communities together. Natural Understanding the responses of communities to
disasters, regardless of their origin, can significantly disrupt COVID-19 is just as important as comprehending the
the social fabrics of communities, leading to extended biological and epidemiological aspects of the pandemic.
interruptions of social services and the breakdown This information can be especially helpful for guiding
of support networks (Magruder et al., 2017). In these preventive and control strategies (Ali, 2022). Pakistan
situations, established systems of care, spiritual practices, has a notable history of investigating the viewpoints
and family dynamics often serve as vital mechanisms for of local communities on disease, treatment, and care-
maintaining social cohesion and resilience. seeking behaviors, particularly in relation to diarrheal
The notion of cultural resilience provides an analytical illnesses (Rabbani et al., 2021), influenza (Aslam et al.,
perspective on how Pakistani communities navigated the 2020), malaria (Soofi et al., 2019), and Ebola and dengue
challenges of the pandemic. In this regard, folk practices, infections (Iftikhar, 2018; Li et al., 2018). However,
religious rituals, and traditional methods emerged as there has been insufficient focus on the sociocultural
important strategies for addressing the uncertainty brought dynamics of COVID-19 in the country, especially through
about by COVID-19 (Ali, 2022). As for the concept of ethnographic research or comprehensive studies.
resilience, it embodies a strategic method for addressing The impact of culture on health is significant, since it
certain challenges and is a vital characteristic that allows shapes individuals’ perceptions of illness, their approach
both individuals and communities to recover and adapt to treatment, and their responses to medical interventions.
(Strand & Peacock, 2003). In Pakistan, cultural resilience Meanwhile, examining emerging diseases and pandemics
during the pandemic demonstrated how communities requires a comprehensive analysis of cultural beliefs and
adapted by integrating traditional knowledge systems their influence on symptom recognition, healthcare
with contemporary health practices. Such adaptation delivery, treatment accessibility, and stigma perception.

Volume 11 Issue 5 (2025) 73 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4109