Balancing life after Spousal loss: A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating the Mental Well-being and Life Satisfaction of Martyrs’ wives

Background: The wives who have lost their spouses in conflict zones are known as martyrs’ wives. After sacrificing the martyrs’ lives, their wives not only face the traumatic experience of losing their loved ones, but this loss may substantially affect their physical, socioeconomic, and emotional health. It may serve as a "vulnerability factor," raising the risk of depression. Objective: To assess the levels of life satisfaction and mental well-being within the wives of martyrs residing in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the mental well-being and life satisfaction of martyrs’ wives living in Karachi Pakistan. Descriptive statistics were used in SPSS version 24 to analyze the score and Pearson correlation to find an association between the mental wellbeing and life satisfaction. Results The findings revealed that 29% (n=18) had scores below 42, showing poor mental health on Warwick Edinburg mental wellbeing scale, while 55% of participants have scored below the cut-off line of life satisfaction score measured on satisfaction with life scale indicating their risks towards mental health illness. The study also found a mild positive association between participants' involvement in exercise and community activities and their mental well-being scores; however, the results were not statistically significant. Conclusion: A large number of wives were dissatisfied with their lives and had mental health issues. The study also found that physically active and socially active wives had better mental health. These people need urgent help and well-being prioritization to improve their quality of life.