Stigma and student mental health in higher education

“For some people the stigma of mental illness can cause even more negative impacts than the mental illness itself, with disempowerment occurring on social, cultural, economic and political levels (Corrigan et al., 2000; Link & Phelan, 2006).”

“The incidence of mental health problems amongst university students is steadily increasing with estimates of between 10 and 20% (Collins & Mowbray, 2005 ).”

“However, this shift in funding and emphasis, from primary care to general population wellness models, can also be viewed as a further means of stigmatisation of those diagnosed with severe mental illnesses with them deemed ‘unworthy of social investment’ (Reidpath et al., 2005, p. 1).”

“Few demands are placed on services with extremely low expectations and grave consequences (Jamison, 2006).”

“Nevertheless, there is increased evidence that students’ with mental health problems who receive appropriate support are successful in post‐secondary education (Mcgivern et al, 2003 ) experience decreased hospitalisation rates (Isenwater, Lanham, & Thornhill, 2002 ) and increased levels of self‐confidence, self‐effici…”

“Stigma is strongly connected to students’ help-seeking attitudes and intent (Bathje & Pryor, 2011; Martin, 2010); self-stigma (also referred to as internalized stigma and personal stigma) in particular has a negative association with help-seeking (Eisenberg et al.”

“Fear of stigma causes college students with varied disabilities to hide their diagnoses, depriving them of often needed supports (Martin 2010); approximately one third of students who were identified as autistic in high school choose not to identify as autistic in college (Newman et al. 2011).”

“Previous studies show that addictions, uncertainty, and suicidal intent, frequently expressed by our participants, have been shown to affect students’ [70] adversely; previous research also shows correlations to increased stress and mental health [71].”

“College students said that they were eager to express their real emotions, but at the same time, they were also worried that expressing their real emotions would lead to adverse consequences [48].”

“However, it is well documented that negative consequences, such as stigma, are also associated to disclosure of disability [5]-[7].”

“In contrast, a recent Australian university survey found that despite low rates of disclosure most university students who disclosed mental illness to staff reported a positive response (Martin 2010).”

“While mental health problems affect people of all ages, three-quarters of people who will develop mental illnesses do so between the ages of 16 and 25 (Martin, 2010, p. 259), which is typically the time of life when people attend postsecondary education.”

“The literature supports this view of stigma not just being at a population level but also across professions (Schulze, 2007), education (Martin, 2010), disciplines including physicians (Wallace et al.”

“Email: kpilato@brocku.ca US have implemented various policies and practices in an effort to minimize academic and personal stress for students (Martin, 2010; Mowbray et al., 2006; Tanenbaum, 2005).”

“…as integral to or responsible for recognition efforts may not only undermine prevailing issues of mental health stigma (Corrigan et al. 2016; Martin 2010), but also ignore an institution’s responsibility in providing instructors with meaningful and accessible professional development…”

“2016) and experience strain in their social relationships (Martin 2010).”

“A range of mindfulness-based interventions or programs have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials conducted with university students (for a systematic review, see McConville et al., 2017).”

“Stigma is defined as a “socially constructed mark of disap-proval, disgrace or shame that causes significant disadvantage through the limitation of opportunities” (Martin, 2010, p. 261).”

“One significant reason for the reluctance to discuss MH is the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, causing individuals to avoid those experiencing MH issues [13, 25, 53, 63].”

“Martin (2010) found that the majority of students (70%) with a mental health disorder did not file requests for accommodations with the office of student disabilities due to concerns of being discriminated against by faculty and future employers.”

“Stigmatizing attitudes toward substance use and other mental health disorders persist on college campuses and have negative impacts on student populations and campus communities (Hang & Pong, 2015; Kirsh et al., 2014; Laidlaw, McLellan, & Ozakinci, 2015; Martin, 2010; Quinn, Wilson, MacIntyre, & Tinklin, 2009), includ…”

“In one study, when patients pursuing higher education were asked about their willingness to disclose their illness, they opted to protect their vulnerable identity (Martin, 2010).”

“…educational situations that can have a negative effect on the individual, the effects of academic stress become even more intense, putting university learners at risk of both health complications and other problems in their personal and professional lives (Martin, 2009; J. Reid & Poole, 2013).”

“Consistent with the mental health literature, studies with college students indicate that negative attitudes and perceptions decrease the likelihood of seeking psychotherapy (Marsh & Wilcoxon, 2015; Martin, 2010).”

“…free enrolment and having a free laptop computer and reserved parking, as well as the support service for students with disabilities, although they mentioned the need for it to have more staff to give more information about its functions and the help on offer (Martin, 2010; Shevlin et al., 2004).”

“Stigma can be a powerful factor in this; Martin (2010) found that many students preferred to keep their mental health to themselves out of fear of judgment or discrimination, and Gulliver et al. (2019) found that the factors that influence whether a student chooses to speak to university staff, and…”

“Whether to disclose an invisible condition in university contexts is a growing topic in higher education research and disability studies (Cunnah 2015; Kranke et al. 2013; Martin 2010; Wood 2017).”

“Student mental health and wellbeing took a sharp decline, as evidenced by a rise in cases of students experiencing anxiety and depression (Camacho-Zuñiga et al., 2021; Martin, 2010).”

“Social Inclusion Difficulties Four items related to difficulties that may prevent them from feeling socially included (Martin 2010; Megivern et al. 2003). in addition, there may be memory problems (Corrigan et al. 2008), lack of confidence about their ability to cope with the demands of college…”

“Research on undergraduate students has consistently found fear of stigmatization as a primary indicator regarding the decisions to disclose disability status in higher education (Martin 2010).”

“The first onset of mental health difficulties is most prevalent in young people before age 24, particularly between the ages of 16 and 25, when students proceed to postsecondary institutions of higher education (IHE; Martin, 2010).”

“There is a significant literature investigating stigma among students of higher education (Britt, et al., 2008; Eisenberg, Downs, Golberstein, & Zivin, 2009; Martin, 2010; Golberstein, Eisenberg, & Gollust, 2009; Miville & Constantine, 2007; Vogel, Wade, & Ascheman, 2009).”

“However, students exhibit hesitancy in seeking professional mental health therapy due to their unwillingness to reveal their mental condition and fears about the social stigma attached to it (Fletcher et al., 2020; Marsh & Wilcoxon, 2015; Martin, 2010).”

“The perceived stigma associated with accessing support for mental health difficulties acts as a significant barrier to help-seeking for many young people (Martin 2010; Venville, Street, and Fossey 2014).”

“Mental health stigma deters students from self-disclosing mental health problems due to fear that doing so will result in discrimination at school and limit potential employment opportunities (Martin, 2010).”

“As above, research within the Australian context mirrors the findings elsewhere, highlighting the higher prevalence of moderate psychological distress among tertiary students than among non-students (Cvetkovski et al., 2012, 2019; Larcombe et al., 2015; Mulder & Cashin, 2015; Stallman, 2008, 2010).”

“While there are many factors that impact a student’s decision to seek services off-campus, the fear that disclosing mental illness will lead to discrimination by university employees (Martin, 2009) suggests that unique forms of stigma may differentially impact where services are rendered.”

“Participants’ use of focusing on personal strengths has similarities to studies reporting benefits to maintaining a positive outlook when dealing with stigma associated with mental health conditions (Martin, 2010).”

“Previous work, however, has suggested that students are at risk of perceiving both public and personal stigma surrounding mental health difficulties and that this negatively impacts help-seeking behaviour and reporting (Eisenberg et al., 2009; Martin, 2010; Shahwan et al., 2020).”

“A limitation for medical and nursing students was the reluctance to seek help for their mental needs in fear of stigmatization and academic reprisal [62–65].”

“First, the finding that trust and confidentiality were important in allowing participants to feel safe to disclose their mental illness is supported by others’ work.(26) This issue has meaningful implications given that feeling comfortable to disclose emotional concerns can, in itself, protect mental health.”

“…African institutions have extended programmes and provide student learning support (Crawford et al., 2016) and mental health and wellbeing support (Martin, 2010) this is not consistent across the system, and where these services are available, most centres have very limited personnel dealing with…”

“Martin (2010) and Sapir and Banai (2024) came to similar conclusions.”

“A 2010 study by Martin on service utilization found that students were reluctant to use the services available to them because they did not want to disclose their mental health conditions to the university (Martin, 2010).”

“Research examining students’ help-seeking attitudes and behaviours reports students’ fear of being stigmatised for help-seeking (Martin, 2010).”

“situation is worrisome since the psychological distress experienced by students undermines not only their well-being and their quality of life but also their academic success (Hysenbegasi, Hass, & Rowland, 2005; Martin, 2010) and perseverance (Shaienks, Gluszynski, & Bayard, 2008).”

“This may result in intense feelings of guilt and shame for disabled students (Martin, 2010; Raghavan 2020).”

“Poor mental health extends beyond emotional distress by impairing academic performance (Andrews & Wilding, 2004), social interactions (Martin et al., 2010), and physical health (Markoulakis & Kirsh, 2013).”

“In particular, both difficulty concentrating and changes in sleeping habits are associated with depression .[24,25,26]”

“Seppala et al. (2020) suggest the promotion of positive psychology, yoga/meditation, and community service as promotion strategies that improve mental health.”

“php/mjms/index time and this is in line with that reported by the following studies [22], [23].”

“Staff recognise the importance of a whole university approach to student wellbeing but need appropriate support, training and the correct organisational structures in place (Cage et al. 2021; Chadha et al. 2021; Martin 2010, 272; Mowbray et al. 2006).”

“Further compounding the issue is that relying on students to independently seek help is too reactive and fails to address known issues of stigma (Eisenberg et al. 2009; Martin 2010; Quinn et al. 2009).”

“Martin (2010) and colleagues reported that almost 50% of those students receiving mental health treatment used off-campus options.”

“One example of how classroom dynamics impact student mental health is that some students choose not to disclose their mental health difficulties to instructors or other campus authority figures because they are concerned about how this disclosure will be received, and whether it will impact their academic assessment o…”

“Health and well-being issues have been referred to as the invisible problem in higher education settings (Martin, 2010).”

“Conversely, students may choose nondisclosure to avoid discrimination from faculty, to feel self-reliant (Kranke et al., 2013), or due to privacy concerns, feeling embarrassed, or fearing being seen as “wanting privileges” (Martin, 2010, p. 265).”

“Worries about one’s own health and the health of loved ones is the most prominent among the effects of the pandemic identified followed by difficulty concentrating are in line with recent studies [18,19].”

“Martin (2010) recommended that universities utilize a wellness model of health promotion on their campuses.”

“J. M. Martin (2010) highlights that students may fear stigma or being labelled when wellbeing is discussed in academic settings.”