Academic accommodations for college students with psychiatric disabilities: Recommendations for disability service staff, faculty, and clinicians

Abstract

The number of college students with mental illness is on the rise, and there is a clear relationship between mental health and academic performance. As many as 5-12% of college students with mental health symptoms may not obtain the supportive services for which they qualify. A significant portion of students with mental health diagnoses may be protected by the ADA if their conditions rise to the level of a psychiatric disability (PD). Despite the importance of working effectively with college students with PDs, there is limited literature to inform stakeholders (disability services office staff, faculty, and clinicians) in providing academic accommodations to this portion of the student body. This dissertation project builds on empirical, theoretical, and applied literature about students with PDs, literature from related disciplines about learning disabilities (LDs) and ADHD, and original content to offer stakeholders a list of concrete, interdisciplinary recommendations for providing academic accommodations to university students with PDs. Recommendations are grouped as follows: (a) coordinating interdisciplinary communication and outreach, (b) stakeholder training and education, (c) evaluating and documenting PDs, and (d) archiving and refining academic supports and services. These recommendations may improve stakeholders’ abilities to collaborate with other professionals and maximize effective service delivery to students with PDs. Additional considerations for using recommendations, project limitations, and directions for future research are also addressed.