The effect of perceived stigma on depression among neurodivergent higher-education students

Abstract

The development of depression is a relevant topic in university students these days, mainly when referring to neurodivergent ones. They face a wider range of challenges than their peers do. In many cases, these challenges result from the stigma they perceive. This research paper aims to investigate the relationship between stigmatization and depression in neurodivergent higher-education students. Participants are 307 higher-education Polish students between 18-26 years old who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD): Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia. An electronic survey, including the Perceived Public Stigma Scale (PPSS) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), was employed to collect the data. The data used for this study is part of a more extensive study. Results showed a weak relationship between Perceived stigma and depression (r=.227, p=.027; R2= 0.032); thus, perceiving higher levels of stigma was weakly associated with experiencing higher levels of depression. No significant differences were found among the groups regarding their level of depression. Evidence shows that, indeed, higher levels of stigma are related to higher depression levels (Geyer, 2021; Turnock et al., 2022; Botha &Frost, 2020). Further research is needed to gain a broader understanding of the relationship between the variables in this study.