Article
Mental Health Stigma in the UAE: Female University Students’ Awareness and Opinions
forsch! –Online Student Journal of the University of Oldenburg
(2020)
Abstract
Mental health stigma (MHS) is a phenomenon that can be found all over the world. In the
UAE, MHS research is limited, therefore there is a need to conduct more research on this
topic. The objectives of this study are to assess knowledge and awareness of female university
students on mental health, stigma towards those with mental illnesses, and their perceptions
about the main contributors to stigma in the UAE. A cross-sectional study was conducted
on 159 female students. Participants were randomly selected from a federal university
in UAE. Data were collected using a survey consisting of five sections related to how individuals
perceive and react towards mental illness. Almost 70% of participants reported having
adequate knowledge on mental health, and 49.7% of the respondents suggested spreading
awareness to combat MHS. Therefore, this study suggests that university students are
becoming more aware of mental health.
Keywords
- UAE,
- mental health stigma,
- mental illness,
- UAE university students
Disciplines
Publication Date
Fall September, 2020
Citation Information
zainab khalaf abdulla, Fatima R. Al-Darmaki and Haleama Al Sabbah. "Mental Health Stigma in the UAE: Female University Students’ Awareness and Opinions" forsch! –Online Student Journal of the University of Oldenburg (2020) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/haleama-alsabbah/28/