Exploring the influence of socio-cultural contexts on the resilience of young women attending an all-female college in New Delhi, India

The study undertakes a survey of 567 young women (aged 18-24) to measure protective factors of resilience. This is complemented by Arts-Based Research (ABR) methods to consider deeper cultural and contextual insights. Deductive and inductive analyses of quantitative and qualitative data reveal key resilience-supporting factors across individual, familial, and external domains. Young women highlight the importance of the collectivistic family unit, religious beliefs, and supportive female networks in championing resilience. The results indicate that the mechanisms that young women prioritise, and the form that they take, are moulded by broader processes which are relevant to their specific socio-cultural contexts. The findings offer insights for developing culturally relevant interventions, policies and services to support and nurture young women’s resilience and mental well-being in India, with broader implications for the post-2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.