THE IMPACT OF SELF-CARE PRACTICES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AMONG STUDENTS AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN PESHAWAR

Abstract

University students face academic, social, financial, and personal demands that can affect their psychological wellbeing. This study examined the relationship between self-care practices and psychological wellbeing among students at public and private universities in Peshawar. Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 students drawn from four universities in Peshawar. Self-care was measured using a culturally adapted 31-item Mindful Self-Care Scale, and psychological wellbeing was measured using an adapted 27-item Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS Version 26 using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, chi-square test, ANOVA, and linear regression. Results: The mean self-care score was 3.35 (SD = 0.519), and the mean psychological wellbeing score was 3.84 (SD = 0.654). Self-care was strongly and positively associated with psychological wellbeing (r = .654, p < .001), and linear regression showed that self-care significantly predicted psychological wellbeing, R² = .427, adjusted R² = .426, F(1, 420) = 313.583, p < .001, accounting for 42.7% of the variance. Conclusion: Self-care shows a substantial positive association with psychological wellbeing among university students in Peshawar. The findings support university-based wellness initiatives that encourage healthy self-care habits while remaining attentive to demographic and socioeconomic differences among students.