Thriving in darkness: A qualitative inquiry into meaning in life,gratitude,and joy among the congenitally blind individuals

Abstract

This study explores how congenitally blind postgraduate students in Pakistan derive meaning in life, experience gratitude, and find joy despite persistent challenges to their education. Using a qualitative design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 students from various universities in Pakistan. Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis guided the data interpretation. Three key themes were generated: (1) finding meaning in life, (2) gratitude as a psychological strength, and (3) sources of joy. Participants described gratitude as a vital psychological resource that fosters resilience and well-being. They identified unique pathways to joy through relationships, creativity, and spiritual beliefs. Despite limited institutional support, the participants demonstrated inner strength and purpose. The findings contribute to a culturally contextualized understanding of thriving with congenital blindness and highlight the importance of psychological resources in well-being. This study offers practical implications to enhance the quality of life of visually impaired individuals in Pakistan.

Keywords

Congenital blindness gratitude joy meaning in life thematic analysis

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ahmad

Araya-Castillo

Ullah

Ganga-Contreras

Calderón-Pujadas

Rahman

K. U.

(2024). Unveiling the consequences: How ignorance of laws and policies inhibits the social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(6), Article 3772.

Alcaraz-Rodríguez

Medina-Rebollo

Muñoz-Llerena

Fernández-Gavira

(2021). Influence of physical activity and sports on the inclusion of people with visual impairment: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), Article 443.

Arslan

Yıldırım

(2021). A longitudinal examination of the association between meaning in life, resilience, and mental well-being in times of coronavirus pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 645597.

Ayub

(2022). Obstacles faced by students with disabilities in Colleges due to the lack of inclusive educational frameworks in Pakistan. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University.

Azad Marzabadi

Mills

P. J.

Valikhani

. (2021). Positive personality: Relationships among mindful and grateful personality traits with quality of life and health outcomes. Current Psychology, 40(3), 1448–1465.

Basit

Ali

Rahman

Shah

A. A.

(2024). Exploring how the practice of gratitude can strengthen interpersonal relationships, enhance mental well-being, foster emotional resilience, and promote greater social connectedness and cooperation. Review of Education, Administration & Law, 7(4), 427–441.

Braun

Clarke

(2012). Thematic analysis. In Cooper

Camic

P. M.

Long

D. L.

Panter

A. T.

Rindskopf

Sher

K. J.

(Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology: Research designs: Quantitative, qualitative, neuropsychological, and biological (Vol. 2, pp. 57–71). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004

Cabrera

Donaldson

S. I.

(2024). PERMA to PERMA+ 4 building blocks of well-being: A systematic review of the empirical literature. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 19(3), 510–529.

Carr

Cullen

Keeney

Canning

Mooney

Chinseallaigh

O’Dowd

(2021). Effectiveness of positive psychology interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 749–769.

10.

Edwards

O. W.

Lev

Obedin-Maliver

Lunn

M. R.

Lubensky

M. E.

Capriotti

M. R.

Garrett-Walker

Flentje

(2023). Our pride, our joy: An intersectional constructivist grounded theory analysis of resources that promote resilience in SGM communities. PLOS ONE, 18(2), Article e0280787.

11.

Fang

Allan

Dickson

J. M.

(2024). Purpose in life and associated cognitive and affective mechanisms. Journal of Happiness Studies, 25(6), Article 63.

12.

Frankl

V. E.

(2024). Introduction: What is logotherapy? In DuBois

J. M.

(Eds.), On the theory and therapy of mental disorders: An introduction to logotherapy and existential analysis (pp. 3–36). Routledge.

13.

Frankl

V. E.

Lasch

Lederberg

(1984). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (3rd ed.). Simon & Schuster.

14.

Gautam

Jain

Chaudhary

Gautam

Gaur

Grover

(2024). Concept of mental health and mental well-being, it’s determinants and coping strategies. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 66(Suppl. 2), S231–S244.

15.

Hakkim

Deb

(2021). Resilience through meaning-making: Case studies of childhood adversity. Psychological Studies, 66(4), 422–433.

16.

Heinze

Jones

Bertiz

Saunders

Gomes

R. S. M.

(2024). How does the UK public think and feel about people with visual impairment: A review of existing evidence. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1359074. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1359074

17.

Hussain

Alam

Ullah

(2022). Challenges to persons with disabilities in Pakistan: A review of literature. Journal of Social Sciences Review, 2(3), 35–42.

18.

Iqbal

Ishrat

Amjad

(2022). Experiences of students with visual impairment about online learning: A Phenomenological Study. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 3(2), 55–68.

19.

Kaftanski

Hanson

(2022). Suffering, authenticity, and meaning in life: Towards an integrated conceptualization of well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1079032.

20.

Kardas

Cam

Eskısu

Gelıbolu

(2019). Gratitude, hope, optimism and life satisfaction as predictors of psychological well-being. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 19(82), 81–100.

21.

Kaya

Erdem

(2021). Students’ well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis study. Child Indicators Research, 14(5), 1743–1767.

22.

Kerry

Chhabra

Clifton

J. D. W.

(2023). Being thankful for what you have: A systematic review of evidence for the effect of gratitude on life satisfaction. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 4799–4816. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.S372432

23.

Lessy

P. P.

Huwae

(2024). Gratitude and resilience among students with disabilities in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Disability Studies, 11(1), 45–60.

24.

Lincoln

Y. S.

Guba

E. G.

Pilotta

J. J.

(1985). Naturalistic inquiry: Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 9(4), 438–439. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

25.

Locklear

L. R.

Sheridan

Kong

D. T.

(2023). Appreciating social science research on gratitude: An integrative review for organizational scholarship on gratitude in the workplace. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 44(2), 225–260.

26.

Lyngroth

M. B. F.

Gammelsæter

(2023). Experiences of stressful situations and mindfulness training for persons with visual impairment. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 41(2), 231–242.

27.

Manitsa

Barlow-Brown

Livanou

(2024). Evaluating the role of social inclusion in the self-esteem and academic inclusion of adolescents with vision impairment. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 42(3), 735–753.

28.

Nie

Yan

(2024). Facilitation or hindrance? The impact of downward social comparison on adversarial growth. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1307393.

29.

O’Brien

B. C.

Harris

I. B.

Beckman

T. J.

Reed

D. A.

Cook

D. A.

(2014). Standards for reporting qualitative research: A synthesis of recommendations. Academic Medicine, 89(9), 1245–1251. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000000388

30.

World Health Organization. (2019). World report on vision. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/world-report-on-vision

31.

Panhwar

Malik

(2023). Effects of resilience and gratitude on psychological well-being among young adults. Mader-e-milat International Journal of Nursing and Allied Sciences, 1(3), 20–28.

32.

Ragab Mohamed

Guirguis Ragheb

Khalil Ibrahim

. (2022). Girls’ adjustment with blindness. Egyptian Journal of Health Care, 13(2), 808–819.

33.

Rahman

M. M.

(2022). Blind and visually impaired students in higher education of Bangladesh: Barriers and facilitators. University of Illinois at Chicago.

34.

Rashid

Abbasi

P. N.

(2025). Gratitude, life satisfaction, and well-being: Unpacking the power of positive emotions and optimism in young adults. The Critical Review of Social Sciences Studies, 3(1), 1652–1663.

35.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

36.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2024). Self-determination theory. In Michalos

(Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 6229–6235). Springer.

37.

Seligman

(2018). PERMA and the building blocks of well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(4), 333–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2018.1437466

38.

Seligman

M. E. P.

(2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.

39.

Sim

I. O.

(2020). Analysis of the resilience process experienced by people living with visual impairment. Preprints. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202002.0191

40.

Watkins

Emmons

Davis

Frederick

(2024). Thanks be to God: Divine gratitude and its relationship to well-being. Religions, 15(10), Article 1246.

41.

World Health Organization. (2019). International classification of diseases for mortality and morbidity statistics (11th rev.). https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classification-of-diseases

42.

Xie

Yuan

Zhang

L.-F.

(2022). A cross-lagged study of psychosocial adaptation among students with visual impairments: Coping, self-esteem, and social integration. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 128, Article 104292.

43.

Yuan

Xie

Dong

Yang

(2023). Linking perceived social support to self-esteem and social integration among adolescents with visual impairment: A cross-lagged study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1054857.

44.

Zahoor

M. Z.

(2019). Experiences of a visually-challenged student: A qualitative study. International Journal of Indian Psychȯlogy, 7(4), Article 704.

45.

Zapata

M. A.

(2022). Disability self-worth and positive personal meaning in disability: Correlates of hope among US residents with physical disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 65(2), 150–160.