The Negative Impact of Stigma on Student Development and Success

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The Disability Support Unit hosted two Disability Seminar Series webinars to support World Mental Health Month 2024.

The key focus of the webinars was to connect Higher Education with “ending stigma and to create an awareness that mental health must matter”.

In the first webinar panellists shared their personal and professional experiences on alcohol abuse, HIV and gender-based violence (GBV), speaking about the impact on student development and retention. Panellists emphasised the need for attitudinal changes, social redress, education, advocacy, and awareness campaigns to break the stigma cycle.

In a presentation on alcohol abuse, Mr Gavin, a mentor for Alcoholics Anonymous, mentioned stigma as an “enabler” for the erosion of personal identity, family ties, communities and societal struggles. He said alcohol abuse was difficult to escape and needed open and humane conversations to encourage treatment, therapy and healing.

Mr Kenneth Qalaza, UKZN’s HIV Unit Health Promoter, spoke about the different types of stigma related to HIV and mentioned how stigma in institutional policies and practices perpetuates the issue. Qalaza stressed the importance of confidentiality and safe spaces for HIV testing and counselling as a stigma reduction strategy.

The connection between alcohol abuse, HIV and gender-based violence was discussed by UKZN GBV strategic co-ordinator Ms Thenjiwe Mswane, who outlined how multiple identities intersect and perpetuate other complexities. Mswane also spoke about UKZN’s reporting process for gender-based violence.

In the second webinar disability stigma and barriers associated with achieving a degree were highlighted with a focus on individuals with disabilities in academic and professional settings. Presenters shared their personal and professional experiences and research findings on disability stigma, highlighting the importance of immediate disability disclosure, advocacy, education, and awareness in reducing stigma and promoting inclusion.

Dr Rosh Subrayen, the disability co-ordinator based at the School of Education, presented her findings relating to Bachelor of Education students with disabilities in their teaching practice school placements, describing how sighted learners and the chalkboard became the point of entry stigma.

Ms Gugu Ndabezitha, a panellist, spoke about stigma being a major barrier to recovery and healing of mental health conditions and without treatment and therapy, an individual could be locked into a perpetual cycle of suffering. Ndabezitha said many sufferers hid their symptoms fearing the stigma and shame. She stressed the importance of therapy, kindness, non-judgemental attitudes and empathy towards sufferers.

Presentations all highlighted the importance of aligning interventions in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals-2030 Agenda and the South African Higher Education policy frameworks as they contained strategies to create stronger Higher Education Institutions to address complexities emerging from stigma. There was general agreement that the voices of stigmatised individuals needed to be heard in safe space dialogues as sufferers were the experts and had first-hand knowledge about such experiences.

The voices of stigmatised persons had to matter because stigma was a universal mental health complexity.

Words: Rosh Subrayen

Photographs: Supplied