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College Students with Mental Illness: Silent Disabilities in Search of a Voice

College Students with Mental Illness: Silent Disabilities in Search of a Voice. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD. Director, McLean College Mental Health Program Instructor, Harvard Medical School. Definitions. Silent Disabilities Hidden Disabilities Invisible Disabilities

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College Students with Mental Illness: Silent Disabilities in Search of a Voice

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  1. College Students with Mental Illness: Silent Disabilities in Search of a Voice Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD. Director, McLean College Mental Health Program Instructor, Harvard Medical School

  2. Definitions • Silent Disabilities • Hidden Disabilities • Invisible Disabilities • Interchangeable, umbrella terms that capture a whole spectrum of challenges primarily neurological in nature • Not immediately apparent to others • Affecting 10% of people in U.S.

  3. Definitions • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) • Defines an individual with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities • Entitled to reasonable accommodations • Include chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, epilepsy, lupus, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, brain injuries, Aspergers Syndrome, and…

  4. Mental Illnesses • People with psychiatric disabilities make up a large segment of the invisibly-disabled population covered under the ADA • ADHD, Anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorder, Major depression, Personality disorders, Schizophrenia, etc.

  5. College Students and Mental Illnesses • Nearly half of all students will become so depressed that they will have difficulty functioning (see www.halfofus.org ) • Between ages of 15 and 21, nearly 40% will be diagnosed with a mental illness • 1 in 4 students will suffer from MDD • Nearly 80% of students who need treatment won’t seek help!

  6. What’s Happening? • Young adult brains and the college years + • Stress, stress, and more stress = The Perfect Storm!

  7. Giving MDD a Voice • Group Exercise

  8. Giving MDD a Voice • Nearly 80% of students who need treatment won’t seek help! • Why not?

  9. Good Stuff to Know • Mental illnesses are disorders of the brain and can be treated • Recovery from mental illness is not a matter of willpower • Stigma on college campuses is lower than 20 years ago • Students maintain “personally held” stigma • Talking about suicidal thoughts doesn’t make them worse • UHS Counseling Center Services & Ross Center

  10. Good Stuff to Do • Group Exercise- “Cognitive Shifting”

  11. More Good Stuff to Do • Talk about it! • Access your resources • Don’t delay • Commit to a healthier lifestyle • Check your thoughts • Take a depression screening test • Take better care of your brain and avoid binge drinking

  12. Transforming Your Campus • Increase dialogue, knowledge, and awareness (e.g., Stigma Panel) • Start a campaign for mental health awareness • Join/start a student organization with a mental health mission • What can you do?

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