Implications of Self-Esteem for Self-Stigma among Students with Lived Experience of Mental Disorders: Evidence from the St. Martin Mental Health Programme, Nyahururu, Kenya

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to examine whether self-esteem narratives influence the development of self-stigma among students with lived experience of mental disorders enrolled in the St. Martin Mental Health Programme. Self-stigma remains a persistent concern in this population, particularly within tertiary education settings where academic demands, identity development, and social adjustment intersect. Although research on mental health stigma has expanded, limited attention has been directed toward how self-esteem narratives shape internalisation of stigma. Understanding this relationship is critical, given that self-stigma may hinder treatment engagement and adversely affect academic and psychosocial functioning. Guided by Person-Centred and Rational Emotive Behavioural Theories, the study employed an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to explore participants’ lived experiences. The target population comprised 29 student beneficiaries with experiences of anxiety, stress, substance use, and suicide attempts. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify 10 students and 4 mental health service providers, who served as key informants. Data were gathered through face-to-face in-depth interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed that negative self- esteem evaluative narratives were associated with stronger internalisation of stigma, whereas more affirming ones corresponded with lower levels of self-stigmatisation. Additionally, participants identified social factors, including labelling, interpersonal mistrust, and perceived rejection, as reinforcing internalised stigma. The study underscores the need for interventions that address both individual meaning-making processes and the broader social environment, in order to mitigate self-stigma and support improved mental health and academic outcomes among students with lived experience of mental disorders.