Social support intervention to promote resilience and quality of life in women living in Karachi, Pakistan: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: This study tested the efficacy of a 6-week social support intervention for enhancing resilience and quality of life among women living in low socioeconomic areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: One hundred and twenty women were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 60) or control group (n = 60). Women in the intervention group attended a 6-week social support program, while those in the control group attended a single mental health awareness session. Outcome variables were measured via the resilience scale-14 item (RS-14), the resilience scale for adults (RSA), and World Health Organization quality of life brief scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Compared to participants in the control group, women in the intervention group reported improvements in resilience measured by RS-14 (p = 0.022) and the structured style subscale of the RSA (p = 0.043). A medium effect size was also measured on the structured style subscale (d = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.62874, 2.57126). No significant findings were noted on QOL scores. Conclusions: Community-based social support interventions are a gender-sensitive-, culturally appropriate-, and resource-sparing approach to promote women’s resilience and improve their mental health.