Le Chéile: Well-being of Students in Colleges of Further Education in Ireland

The main aims of this research were to explore the well being of young adults attending colleges of further education in Ireland, in particular the relationship between chronic health conditions, stigma and well-being. Participants were 288 students from Colleges of Further Education in Ireland. Of these 123 (43%) reported living with a chronic physical and/or a mental health condition. Students with chronic health conditions had lower levels of social functioning than their healthy peers. Participants with high levels of stigma for help-seeking reported lower levels of well being and lower general health. Students with chronic health conditions reported significantly lower levels of self esteem than their peers. These findings highlight the importance of providing support to young people with chronic health conditions as they cope with the demands of early adulthood and college life.