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conferenceseries.com
Volume 19, Issue 2 (Suppl) Int J Emerg Ment Health, an open access journal
ISSN: 1522-4821 Mental Health 2017
June 21-23, 2017
Mental Health and Human Resilience
June 21-23, 2017 London, UK
3rd International Conference on
Stigma and resilience in college students with mental illness
Ren VanderLind
Texas State University, USA
In a duoethnographic study, two college students with bipolar disorder were investigated for their experiences of being college
students diagnosed with mental illness. Through qualitative inquiry, it emerged that both participants have differing experiences
of stigmatization due to having a diagnosed mental illness. This stigmatization occurred both from internal and external sources and
varied by participant and life-domain (e.g., academic versus personal life). Feelings of stigmatization were also found to be mediated
by the student’s academic discipline, implying that some may be more open to issues surrounding mental illness than others. Another
finding of note was that the participants demonstrated significant resilience in their management of symptoms while pursuing
academics. This was often unrecognized by the participants, a type of unseen resilience that may indicate individuals with mental
illness exhibit greater resilience than they perceive. This talk will cover the importance of stigma and resilience in the experiences of
individuals with mental illness with a specific focus on college students. In addition to the duoethnographic data, autoethnographic
data from my experiences as an individual with bipolar disorder will be used to further exemplify the complex nature of resilience
and stigmatization that individuals with mental illness face, particularly in academia. If possible, research from a third study will be
incorporated to add additional detail to the picture of stigma and resilience among college students with mental illness. This study
examines students’ experiences of stigmatization and resilience as related to their mental illnesses and includes a larger dataset.
Biography
Ren VanderLind studies phenomena related to the experiences of college students with mental illness. She is currently working on her Doctorate in developmental
education with a focus on literacy and is researching how stigma and resilience affect students with mental illness in terms of their identity development. Although
her degree is within education, her research agenda focuses specifically on supporting students with mental illness in their academic pursuits and development of
self-concept. She is an advocate for destigmatizing mental illness and opening social discussions of this important issue.
Ren VanderLind, Int J Emerg Ment Health 2017, 19:2(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/1522-4821-C1-008