Characteristics of a mental health disorder
Studying with a mental health disorder such as an anxiety disorder, burnout, obsessive-compulsive disorder or psychosis can present certain obstacles. If you are struggling with these, you may find it difficult to attend a full day of classes or spend an entire day at your internship. At the end of the day, you may feel utterly drained. You might find it difficult to concentrate on your degree programme or at your internship. You are often unsure of where to start, so you have trouble staying organised. You may also respond differently to specific situations. Some situations may have an especially intense effect on you or affect you less than expected.
These obstacles can have a negative impact on your studies or internship.
This is what I deal with
Obstacles faced by students with an anxiety disorder, burnout, obsessive-compulsive disorder or psychosis
- Concentration problems. When you have a mental health disorder, you may experience concentration problems as a result. You might need additional time in order to compete your degree programme.
- Difficulty communicating. You may find it hard to talk to others about your mental health disorder. This can make it extra difficult for you to cooperate in a group setting.
- Anxiety or stress. Maybe you find your degree programme or internship stressful. When you struggle with anxiety or feelings of panic, it can be difficult to spend time with large groups of people. As a result, it may drain a great deal of your energy to attend a lecture, where you might also have difficulty concentrating.
- Problems with the attendance requirement/fixed class schedule. When you have an addiction, you might not always be able to attend class or go to your internship. This could be because you do not feel well enough to attend a lecture.
- Problems with tests/exams or in class. It might be hard for you to concentrate in class or during a lengthy test or exam. You might need adjustments in order to take the test or attend class in a way that works for you.
- Money problems. Not everyone can have a part-time job in addition to their studies. You might also have debts.
- Lack of energy. It is possible that your mental health disorder will often cause you to feel tired, for instance because you are having trouble sleeping. This may result in obstacles to completing your degree programme or taking part in an internship.
These obstacles may cause difficulties for you and have a negative impact on your study progress. When you have a mental health disorder, it can be hard to share your struggles with other people or to ask for help. See the ‘This is what I might need’ section to learn about the kinds of help your educational institution might be able to offer. If you feel deeply depressed and/or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please do not hesitate to call 0900-0113 and talk to someone about it.
This is what I might need
Support and facilities for students with mental health disorders
A variety of adjustments and/or facilities are available that may be helpful to you during your degree programme. Often, educational institutions will have a large number of employees that may be able to help you or refer you to someone else when you have a mental health disorder such as depression. Try to find out who can offer you further assistance at your educational institution. If you do not know who to talk to, maybe you can confide in one of your lecturers or contact your study adviser and ask if they can point you in the right direction.
COMMEN., a platform with stories about mental health, has created an overview (Dutch) of where students at a number of large educational institutions can go for psychological help. If your educational institution is not listed here, visit the website of your research university or university of applied sciences to find the contact details for the student psychologists.
As a student with a mental health disorder, you might have a need for the following:
- More lenient attendance requirement. It might help if the number of occasions on which you were required to be present was reduced. You could also discuss the possibility of taking fewer courses at a time. If you struggle to attend classes in person – for instance, because you suffer from anxiety or have physical symptoms – you can ask if it is possible to attend class online.
- Financial schemes. It is possible that your study progress will be delayed as a result of your condition. Various schemes are available to help cover the costs of such a delay (wholly or in part).
- Guidance and advice. Most educational institutions have one or more student psychologists on staff. They can provide short-term, solution-oriented help with study-related problems and/or problems of a personal nature. If your problems are so severe that you cannot wait for an appointment, you have the following options:
- Contact your own general practitioner during their opening hours.
- Outside of opening hours, you can contact the local after-hours clinic.
- Check out the site: https://jongerenhulponline.nl/ for (online) help with social-emotional problems and find the way to the right agencies, care providers, websites and companies.
- If you are having suicidal thoughts, please contact 113 via the website or by calling 0900-0113.
- For all other emergency situations, you should always contact 112.
Have a look at the other facilities that might be helpful for you, too.
Tips
Who can you turn to for the right information?
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You should first turn to the adviser with whom you are closest. That might be a student career counsellor, a study adviser or perhaps a student counsellor. In many cases, they can then refer you to the right person. You can also contact a student psychologist at your educational institution directly.
Do not wait to ask for help
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It can be hard to talk to other people about your mental health disorder. If you find yourself struggling to make any progress – or even take part – in your degree programme or internship, it is very important that you tell someone about it. Any time at all is the right time to ask for help! Some educational institutions say on their website that you must report an issue within a certain timeframe. If your institution says you missed the deadline for reporting a problem, try not to let this discourage you. In any case, you still have the option of making an appointment with the student counsellor or psychologist. Ultimately, it is up to you to reach out at the moment that feels right for you. And if the person you talk to does not seem to understand, do not hesitate to explore other options for help within your educational institution.
Information healthcare provision
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- Information on waiting lists at care providers for mental health problems.
- National care number for advice when supply of care takes too long.
- GGZ self-help page on what students can do themselves when suffering from a mental illness.
Experience stories
Read the experience stories of others here
Antwoord
- Shane: "Ondanks burn-out, financiële problemen en totale stress het leven weer op de rit" (blog) - in Dutch
- Ellen: “Laten we wat eerlijker zijn over onze moeilijkheden” (blog) - in Dutch
- Juul: Studeren met een chronische ziekte, vermoeidheid en angstaanvallen (blog) - in Dutch
- Share your experience story too. With your experience story, you can give others, such as education professionals and fellow students, an insight into what goes well and what could be better when studying with special needs. A source of inspiration with tips, hints and flops. Together with you, ECIO provides an experience story with impact.
Organisations
Through the tool 'Hulpwijzer'[Help Guide], you can find organisations that have expertise on your support needs. Check out the possibilities.