Cultural Heritage and Psychological Wellbeing: A Pilot Study with PVTG Tribal Students in Namkum, Ranchi

Abstract

Indigenous groups in India have a lot of cultural traditions and ways of knowing that have a big impact on how people think and feel. Nevertheless, swift modernisation and sociocultural shifts may affect the psychological well-being of these groups. The current pilot study sought to investigate the correlation between cultural engagement, perceived stress, resilience, and subjective well-being among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) adolescents in Namkum, Ranchi. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed using a purposive sample of 20 tribal pupils. Standardised psychological tests were utilised, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the WHO-5 Well Being Index. Moreover, a limited array of non-standardized, exploratory interview questions were employed to evaluate cultural involvement and perceptions of stress associated with modernisation. The descriptive analysis indicated moderate stress levels (M = 5.00, SD = 1.07), varied resilience (M = 4.78, SD = 3.01), and relatively low subjective well-being (M = 2.25, SD = 1.22). Everyone agreed that taking part in cultural activities was good for mental health; however, changes related to modernisation were linked to higher stress levels. The results underscore the significance of culturally informed mental health strategies among tribal groups and establish a basis for extensive research initiatives.