Psychological Issues of Domestic Workers: A Qualitative Investigation

Abstract

The present study is a qualitative exploration of psychological problems faced by domestic workers in the Islamabad and Rawalpindi regions. The study was conducted with only female domestic workers, including both resident and non-resident workers with an age range from 18 years onwards and having work experience of more than one year. The study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, six focus group discussions were carried out, while in the second phase, fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological problems faced by domestic workers. The thematic analysis approach revealed ten themes, including depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, Stress, helplessness, anger, feelings of insecurity, guilt, feelings of inferiority, repressed and unfulfilled desires, and dissatisfaction with life circumstances. Resident domestic workers reported more psychological issues due to the nature of their workplace environment as compared to non-resident domestic workers. This further hurts their sense of self, physical and mental health, cognitions, relationship with others, and psychological well-being.