Towards Understanding Collective Distress: A Study of Distressed Communities in Vidarbha, India

Abstract

Agrarian crisis and farmer's suicide is a serious concern in many countries across the world, including India, which has the largest body of small farmers. Though large regions are identified as highly distressed, research has been limited to individual suicidal behavior. Exploration among the general population to understand context-specific factors contributing to collective distress have been almost non-existent and this paper addresses this gap. In this study, the authors conceptualize and test a psychosocial framework using structural equation models to identify factors contributing to distress. A systematic random sampling technique was used to sample 10,402 respondents from 320 vulnerable villages in six districts of Vidarbha. The analysis identifies stressors as a domain that increases distress. The protective factors’ role in moderating distress was minimal. The individual social status characteristics had a significant contribution in explaining the variation in distress. The study provides a road map for future research to establish broad social characteristics that determine distress and enable informed policy formulation and practice.