Mental Health Stigma in the UAE: Female University Students’ Awareness and Opinions

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: Mental health stigma, University students, Mental illness, UAE