Lead researcher Amy-Jean Viljoen, who is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology at UWC. Image: Supplied

More than eight in 10 students with disabilities (SWDs) at three Western Cape universities are likely experiencing depression, with more than half reporting hopelessness and nearly three-quarters showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research from the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

Published in the South African Journal of Psychology, the study surveyed 229 undergraduates from UWC, the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Stellenbosch University (SU). Most participants reported non-visible disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD or epilepsy. The findings reveal strikingly high levels of psychological distress across multiple psychological variables such as depression, anxiety, PTSD symptom severity, alcohol use, loneliness,and hopelessness. Disability type emerged as a strong predictor of hopelessness, loneliness, PTSD and alcohol use.

• Depression: 81.7% met diagnostic criteria.
• PTSD: 74.2% met criteria for probable PTSD.
• Hopelessness: 69.7% reported severe hopelessness, indicating elevated suicide risk.
• Anxiety: 43.7% reported high anxiety, while 56.3% reported minimal symptoms.
• Alcohol use: 17.9% engaged in hazardous drinking that put their health at risk, and 2.6% showed signs of harmful use or dependence.

Harmful drinking referred to a pattern of alcohol consumption that caused physical or mental harm. It often included binge drinking, defined as consuming four or more drinks for women, or five or more drinks for men, on a single occasion.

Co-researcher and Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS), Prof Anita Padmanabhanunni. Image: Ruvan Boshoff/UWC

The authors, Amy-Jean Viljoen, PhD candidate in Psychology, and her supervisor, Prof Anita Padmanabhanunni, Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, noted that while student mental health was increasingly recognised as a priority in South Africa, research focusing specifically on SWDs remained limited.

They argued that the transition to university is challenging for all students, but even more so for SWDs due to socioeconomic inequalities, limited institutional resources, and persistent barriers to inclusion. Inflexible systems, inaccessible facilities, and discriminatory attitudes often left students feeling marginalised, intensifying distress and loneliness.

Although the study relied on self-reported data and could not establish causality, its findings highlighted the urgent need for trauma-informed, disability-responsive mental health services.

The authors concluded: “Addressing these challenges requires institutional policies and support systems that move beyond individual-level interventions to actively reduce structural barriers, stigma and exclusion while promoting an inclusive learning environment.”