Psychological hardiness among deaf and hard-of-hearing female students in Saudi Arabia: a mixed-methods analysis of influencing factors and enhancement strategies

Psychological hardiness is considered a critical psychological construct that supports the ability of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) female students to adapt to personal, social, and educational challenges. This study aimed to determine the level of psychological hardiness, examine the factors influencing it, and explore the strategies used to enhance it among DHH female students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed-methods research designs, was employed in this study. Quantitative data were collected using a scale developed by the researchers and administered to 69 DHH female students to assess their levels of psychological hardiness based on their responses. Subsequently, qualitative data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with 25 participants who had completed the scale. The interview questions were designed to obtain deeper insights from this purposively selected group regarding the factors influencing psychological hardiness and the strategies used by the students to strengthen it. The quantitative findings guided the selection of the qualitative sample and supported the interpretation of the qualitative analysis results. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, means, and standard deviations to determine the level of psychological hardiness. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The quantitative findings revealed that the overall level of psychological hardiness among DHH female students was moderate, with a mean score of 2.87. The qualitative findings identified four key factors influencing psychological hardiness: family factors, societal factors, peer relationships, and teachers. The results further indicated that students employ several strategies to enhance psychological hardiness, including faith in God and reliance on Him, social support and relationship strengthening, coping and stress-management strategies, self-confidence and emotional regulation, and self-development and personal growth. These findings highlight the importance of developing supportive psychological and educational interventions that consider contextual factors and leverage effective coping strategies among this population.