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

The study aimed to determine the relationship between self-stigma and vocational hope among disabled university students. This study further examined whether 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/loss of a limb (N=20), paralysis/mobility disability (N=23), visual impairment (N=32), hearing impairment (N=31), speech and communication disorder (N=28) who are studying at AL-Baath university in Homs, Syria. The following scales were applied: Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) and 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 type of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]