Faculty of Health Science, School of Medicine, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X 1106, Sovenga 0727, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 1;20(5):4420. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054420.
The South African university community is predominantly heterosexual, which fosters stigmatisation and discrimination against LGBTQI students despite the efforts to create conditions where LGBTQI students can succeed academically, socially, and personally. The study aimed to explore and describe the challenges experienced by LGBTQI students and their mental well-being as well as the coping behaviours adopted in a university in South Africa. This was accomplished using a descriptive phenomenological approach. A snowballing sampling method was used to select ten students who identified themselves as gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB). Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted, and data were analysed thematically. The students perceived character defects stigma from fellow students and lecturers in and out of class. The mental health challenges experienced included a diminished sense of safety, lack of a sense of belonging, low self-esteem, and acting out of character. As a result, confrontation, passive withdrawal, and active dependent behaviour were utilised as different types of coping behaviour. The LGB students were subjected to stigma that negatively affected their mental health. Therefore, creating awareness about the rights of LGBTQI students to education, safety, and self-determination is recommended.
南非的大学社区主要由异性恋者组成，这助长了对 LGBTQI 学生的污名化和歧视，尽管已经做出努力为 LGBTQI 学生创造学术、社会和个人成功的条件。本研究旨在探索和描述 LGBTQI 学生所经历的挑战及其心理健康，以及他们在南非一所大学所采用的应对行为。这是通过描述性现象学方法来完成的。采用滚雪球抽样方法选择了 10 名自认为是同性恋、双性恋或异性恋的学生。进行了半结构化的一对一访谈，并进行了主题数据分析。学生们认为同学和课堂内外的讲师有性格缺陷的污名。所经历的心理健康挑战包括安全感下降、归属感缺失、自尊心低和行为失常。因此，对抗、被动退缩和积极依赖行为被用作不同类型的应对行为。LGB 学生受到污名化的影响，这对他们的心理健康产生了负面影响。因此，建议提高 LGBTQI 学生受教育、安全和自决权的意识。
