ArticleInternational journal of emergency medicine2026
Navigating cognitive strain: a qualitative study on the impact of recent flood disasters on students' educational experience in Pakistan.
Article in International journal of emergency medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClimate-induced flooding has increasingly disrupted higher education systems, yet limited research has examined how such disasters affect the cognitive and psychological experiences of university students. In Pakistan, recurrent floods have caused prolonged educational interruptions, raising concerns about students’ academic functioning and well-being. This study explores how flood exposure shapes students’ cognitive strain, emotional distress, and coping responses within the higher education context.
methodsThis qualitative study was guided by Cognitive Load Theory and employed in-depth interviews with university students affected by the 2022 and 2025 flood events. Participants were purposively selected based on direct flood exposure and enrollment in higher education during the disaster periods. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns related to cognitive load, psychological strain, and adaptive strategies.
resultsFindings indicate that disaster exposure intensified both intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load by diverting mental resources away from academic tasks. Students reported heightened psychological distress, manifesting as impaired concentration, memory difficulties, and disrupted study routines. Socio-economic status and geographical location significantly shaped the severity of these challenges. Peer support, community networks, and flexible institutional responses emerged as key buffers that helped mitigate cognitive and emotional strain.
conclusionThe study demonstrates that climate-induced disasters substantially impair students’ cognitive functioning and educational continuity. By integrating disaster impact scholarship with cognitive theory, this research advances a conceptual framework linking disaster exposure, cognitive load, and educational disruption. The findings offer practical implications for universities and policymakers seeking to strengthen educational resilience and student support systems in climate-vulnerable regions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.