Rising Above Stigma: Exploring the Coping Strategies of Adolescents with Albinism in Tanzania Through a Group Coping Intervention

Abstract

Aim: Adolescents with albinism in Tanzania regularly experience stigmatisation, yet little is known about their coping strategies or related interventions. This qualitative brief report aims to explore the stigma-coping strategies employed by adolescents with albinism, and to gain insight into the influence of peer support on those strategies through a group coping intervention. Methods: Data were collected from ten Tanzanian adolescent girls with albinism who participated in four sessions of a group coping intervention, followed by individual interviews. One universal and one stigma-specific coping framework were used in the analysis. Results: Data suggest that adolescents with albinism employed, prior to the intervention, mostly strategies related to disconfirming stereotypes, such as becoming educated. Through participation in the intervention, the participants mostly learned about coping strategies linked to primary and secondary control engagement, such as building self-acceptance and help-seeking, indicating some form of empowerment. All but one participant expressed a desire to continue meeting with the peers in their intervention group to discuss stigma and coping. Conclusion and Implications: Adolescents with albinism in Tanzania possess a diverse range of strategies to cope with stigma. Group coping interventions can be beneficial for the development of complementary and potentially healthier stigma-coping strategies. Peer support could be a positive factor. More research into the careful implementation and interpretation of a group coping intervention for stigmatised youth is warranted.