Self-stigma and vocational hope among a sample of students with disability at AL-Baath University in Syria

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the relationship between self-stigma and vocational hope among disabled university students. This study further examined whether the levels of self-stigma and vocational hope reported by participants vary as a function of gender and type of disability. The sample (N = 134) consisted of students with physical disability or loss of a limb (N = 20), paralysis or mobility disability (N = 23), visual impairment (N = 32), hearing impairment (N = 31), and speech and communication disorder (N = 28) who are studying at AL-Baath University in Homs, Syria. The following scales were applied: the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) and the Work Hope Scale (WHS). Results indicated that the research sample reported a high level of self-stigma and low vocational hope. An analysis further showed a significant negative correlation between self-stigma and vocational hope (r = -0.862, p<0.05), where higher self-stigma was associated with lower vocational hope. The results further indicated that male participants expressed a higher level of vocational hope and a lower level of self-stigma than female participants. Finally, results found that levels of self-stigma and vocational hope reported by participants did not vary as a function of the type of disability