I am exerting my efforts to identify the impacts of last year's three-month prolonged flood on the mental health of the farming communities of Pakistan, particularly in rural Sindh province. Therefore, I have two options in hand to choose either: first, I should go ahead with a focus-group discussion (how long should be the sample size?); second, I can conduct a survey questionnaire (how many questionnaires should be filled sufficiently).
Also, how to develop this kind of questionnaire, as I do not find any relevant study that could be sufficiently helpful to follow?
If you cannot find a directly relevant study, you need to widen your conceptual framework. Many communities have been affected by flooding, and many farming communities have been affected by weather and climate events that have caused hardship, loss and death. It might help to think of your research as a study in this wider context.
One difficulty is the absence of a baseline measurement, which is why I think your plan to do qualitative research is a good one. Key informant interviews and focus groups can produce rich data, not just about the mental health impacts but also on the way the community mobilised its resources in the face of adversity. It avoids painting the community as purely a victim, and paves the way for understanding factors that promote community resilience – the ability to learn from adversity so as to be better able to deal with future adversity.
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