Christian Religious Minorities of Pakistan and their Satisfaction with Higher Education and Mental Wellbeing

Abstract

The persecution of the Christian religious minorities in Pakistan has implications on exclusion faced in higher educational institutes and mental wellbeing, which ultimately may prevent Christian youth agency. This is one of the first studies in the country that aimed to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with higher education and mental health of Christian students (N = 100) from a large urban city. Mean comparisons suggest that females, those attending public sector institutes, and unemployed Christian students have lower satisfaction with higher education institutes and lower mental wellbeing. Multiple linear regression reveals that mental health is predicted by two domains of satisfaction with higher education- (i) teaching and learning (t = 1.62, p = 0.049); and (ii) student management and guidance by administration. Our study concludes that Christian minorities with intersectional disadvantages who are dissatisfied with higher education face more mental health issues and need targeted interventions to improve educational inequalities and mental wellbeing.