Exploring perceived stigma, risk and resilience among university students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Students with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are an emerging clientele in post-secondary institutions, and may have difficulties with various academic skills. The risk and resilience framework can be applied to this population in order to discern what factors contribute to academic successes and difficulties. Stigma theory (Blaine, 2000; Goffman, 1963; Jones et al., 1984; Link & Phelan, 2001) will be used to investigate self-perceptions of stigma as a potential risk factor for university students with LD and ADHD. Proponents of stigma theory hypothesize that self-perceptions of stigma arise from the perceived association between one’s disability and negative stereotypes. Such perceptions are proposed to contribute independently to reduced likelihood to disclose one’s disability, as well as emotional difficulties such as increased depressive symptoms and reduced self-efficacy. In this dissertation, the impact of perceived stigma on variables implicated in risk and resilience (i.e., disclosure, self-efficacy and depressive symptoms) was explored among a sample of university students with a diagnosis of LD and/or ADHD from 22 participating Canadian universities (n = 212; 126 females, 86 males). The objectives were twofold. First, an exploratory analysis examining variables that predict the degree of perceived stigma highlighted three significant predictor variables of gender, reported academic difficulty and reported family support. Specifically, males, individuals who reported high levels of academic difficulty and those who reported low levels of family support were significantly associated with a higher level of perceived stigma. Second, multiple regression analyses were employed to test both the direct effect of stigma on the outcome variables (i.e., depression, self-efficacy) and the mediating effect of disclosure using the path analytic approach. Results showed that perceived stigma had a significant direct effect on self-efficacy, but not depression. Further, mediation analyses indicated that this relationship was partially mediated by disclosure; individuals higher in disclosure ratings were associated with higher self-efficacy ratings, and the overall effect of stigma was reduced when disclosure ratings were accounted for. The findings support the theoretical importance of perceived stigma as an independent risk factor with negative implications for disclosure of one’s disability and self-efficacy, two potential protective factors. Findings were not supported for depression. Implications for stigma theory, school psychologists and service provision are discussed.

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