Psychiatric Disabilities

About Psychiatric Disabilities

Though invisible, a psychiatric condition may constitute a disability. The course of the condition is unique for each person and may result in the disruption of learning and career goals.

The National Institute of Mental Health reported in 2003 that one in five Americans has some form of mental illness that is diagnosable and treatable. Examples of psychiatric disabilities covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) include major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Conditions not covered include diagnoses such as gender disorders, compulsive gambling, kleptomania, and pyromania.

Determining when a psychiatric condition becomes a disability

The Americans With Disabilities Act provides guidance to determine when a psychiatric condition becomes a disability. The disability specialist working with you at Disability Services will review the documentation from an appropriately licensed professional that you provide to identify the following components: a clear statement describing your condition, including the DSM-IV diagnosis and a summary of present symptoms and prognosis. In addition, the specialist will seek to gain an understanding of how the condition may limit you in one or more life activities, along with an understanding of the impact of any medications you may take for the condition. Once the disability specialist receives this information, a determination will be made about the disability status of your condition.

Disclosure of a psychiatric disability may be difficult for you. You can be assured that all information provided to Disability Services is considered confidential. To ensure equal access to the University environment, students with psychiatric disabilities should be prepared to request the reasonable accommodations to which they are entitled.

Some general considerations regarding psychiatric disabilities

• Trauma is not the sole cause of psychiatric disabilities; genetics may play a role.
• Psychiatric disabilities affect people of any age, gender, income group, and intellectual level.
• Disruptive behavior is not an attribute of most people with psychiatric disabilities.
• Eighty to ninety percent of people with depression experience relief from symptoms through medication, therapy, or a combination of the two.
• Depression is a variable condition that may fluctuate during a person's lifetime.

Helpful strategies for students with psychiatric disabilities

1. Prepare for the start of or return to school.

   Starting or returning to school can be exciting, challenging, and demanding, so it's important that you give yourself time to plan. These are some of the issues to consider.

   • Have you applied for financial aid, or do you have funding secured for school? It's important to apply as soon as you begin to think about attending school. Also, are you in default on any loans? Resolving funding questions early in the process will help your return go smoothly.
   • What academic barriers have you encountered in previous school experiences? Do you have an idea of what kinds of academic accommodations you may need?
   • Will you attend school full-time or part-time? There are options for attending school less than full-time, which you may wish to explore, particularly if you've been away from school for a while or your disability has been recently diagnosed.
2. Build a support system.

   Many students enjoy the large size and anonymity of the Twin Cities campus, but its size can present challenges to finding support for dealing with school stressors. Here are some suggestions to help with the process.

   • Register with Disability Services. DS's role is to ensure equal access to University programs and services for all students with disabilities who are qualified to attend the University. Your disability specialist at DS can assist you in identifying and obtaining the accommodations to which you may be entitled. Your specialist will provide you with information on policies and procedures that affect you and give you referrals to both on- and off-campus resources.
   • Learn who your key University contacts are. For example, where will you get academic or financial aid advising?
   • Explore the resources and support available from the Disabled Student Cultural Center (DSCC).
   • Consider getting involved in one of the many campus clubs and organizations, sports, and student union activities. Good sources of information on activities are the Minnesota Daily, the University of Minnesota student newspaper; the Student Activities Office, 126 Coffman Union, telephone 612-626-6919, Web site www.sao.umn.edu; Rec Sports for sports activities and programming information, 100 Cooke Hall, telephone 612-625-6800; and the Student/Staff Directory and Gopher Guide student planner, which both contain a list of campus organizations.
3. Plan how you will disclose your disability.

   Since you have an "invisible" disability, your instructor will have no idea that adjustments or accommodations are needed unless you tell her or him. It is important that this discussion take place early in the semester. It is difficult to make any arrangements or adjustments after a deadline or exam date has passed. You may find the process of requesting accommodations stressful, but preparation helps. Contact your DS specialist for assistance, for practice with how and when to disclose, and for letters to instructors that provide information about your needed accommodations without sharing your diagnosis.

4. Consider what you need to manage your disability while in school.
   • Do you have a mental health support network? Typically, students find that an effective network of support includes a psychiatrist, counselor, or therapist, and possibly a Disability Services or other support group. Are people in your support network aware that you're in school or planning to be? Have you discussed possible demands that this will place on you?
   • Some other questions to consider about disability management might be: Are you taking medication and, if so, are there any side effects? What is the likelihood of needing to change medications during a semester? What is your stamina like? Do you have time allocated to get the rest you need? Is concentration difficult for you? What strategies have you developed for compensating?
5. Enhance your repertoire for coping by developing "life skills."

   Any student, disabled or not, benefits from skills in the following areas:

   • Stress, time, and money management
   • Keeping one's diet, exercise, and sleep patterns in balance
   • Academic and career planning

   Ask your disability specialist for ideas and resources to help you in developing these life skills.

Selected resources for students with psychiatric disabilities

Here is a partial list of the many resources in the community that may interest you.

Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Minnesota
Provides assistance and education to individuals and family members affected by a mental illness. The Alliance also works on legislation and does individual advocacy, usually over the phone. For more information, call 651-645-2948.

Community Support Programs (CSPs)
CSPs are neighborhood-based programs open to individuals and families affected by mental illness. They offer access to a wide range of services, both at the site and in the community at large. The CSP closest to the Minneapolis campus is the Seward CSP located at Minnehaha Center. For more information, call 612-333-0331.

Mental Health Association of Minnesota
This organization helps individuals find access to services or solve problem situations on a one-to-one basis. It also provides community education and works on public policy. For more information, call 612-331-6840 or see the Web site www.mentalhealthmn.org.

Minnesota Depressive and Manic Depressive Association
Provides education, outreach, and support groups for individuals with mood disorders. For meeting dates and times, call 612-379-7933.

Disability Services Support Group for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
This is a confidential, support-oriented group. The group's purpose is to give you a way to meet other students with psychological disabilities, discuss non-therapeutic student issues, share strategies on how students get reasonable accommodations, share experiences dealing with disclosure and stigma, and learn about new resources. For more information or a referral to the group, contact your DS specialist.

Other resources regarding psychiatric disabilities