A recent study conducted by a public health researcher has highlighted alarming levels of public stigma towards mental illness among Fiji National University students.

Epidemiologist Puja Nair while presenting at the Public Health Symposium focused on “Examining and Identifying Contributing Factors Associated with Public Stigma Among University Students Towards Mental Illness.”

According to Nair, her research which surveyed 400 non-medical and medical students across various campuses, sheds light on how stigma affects students’ willingness to seek help, exacerbates mental health issues and contributes to social exclusion.

Nair reveals that stigma is not only widespread but significantly impacts students’ attitudes and behaviors.

[Epidemiologist Puja Nair]

According to the findings, a significant proportion of students reported feeling stigmatized due to their mental health status, aligning with global trends observed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and various regional studies.

Nair’s research states the urgent need for targeted interventions to combat mental health stigma among these university students.

“So majority of the students agreed that people with mental illness should be employed and they were willing to advise them to get professional help and medication and psychotherapy were popular treatment and students had good knowledge on depression, stress, schizophrenia, bipolar and drug addiction they were variation of answers for grief.”

Nair emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues to not only improve the mental health and well-being of students but also to create a more empathetic and supportive academic community.

“In terms of mental health knowledge and awareness so if individuals had higher mental health knowledge scores they had lower attribution scores that’s stating that if people are knowledgeable in terms of a certain mental health condition they are less likely to stigmatize people.”

Nair adds that by addressing these challenges head-on, they can work towards a more compassionate and supportive environment for all students.