Mental illnesses

Disabled and chronically ill students are more common at universities than it might first appear. This is because initially unapparent but serious health impairments such as rheumatic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hearing impairments and mental illnesses occur in all sections of the population, including students.

Fundamental problem

These students have the problem of first having to explain the specific effects of their disability or chronic illness on everyday study life when they have questions about disability or illness-related modifications to study and examination conditions in contact with members of the university. In the case of relatively well-known impairments, e.g. hearing or sight, the explanation should be easier to understand than in the case of disabilities or illnesses with unclear causes and very diverse manifestations and disorders.
This problem is particularly serious in the case of mentally ill students. Broad categories such as neurosis, psychosis and personality disorders are probably well known. However, a more precise diagnosis is often difficult because those affected hear different definitions during the course of their illness. Both the medical and therapeutic terms and the symptoms of the illness change from time to time.

Decisive: type and extent of the possible disorders

The clinical definition of the disease is less important for the question of the organisation of everyday study life than the type and extent of the possible disorders. Essentially, it can be assumed that special study situations exist before and after acute phases of illness. During an acute phase, study and examination work cannot usually be carried out, as the focus is then on medical and therapeutic treatment. After the illness has largely subsided and is symptom-free, previous potential is available again in most cases and there is no reduction in intellectual abilities, for example.

As the illnesses often progress in phases, in some cases relapses must be expected after an initial illness and after sometimes very long stable phases. To minimise this risk, long-term medication is required in many cases, which is highly dosed in phases close to the illness and can have considerable side effects.

This already has an initial and frequent impact on studies.

• Both longer-lasting acute phases of the illness and subsequent reduced performance (initial and residual symptoms, high medication dose) can lead to an extension of the study duration.

Performance disorders occur in affective and cognitive areas, but also in the vegetative system and lead, for example

• reduced energy and weakened drive, occasionally also overactive phases,
• to insecurities in perception, increased sensitivity to certain stimuli, idiosyncratic evaluations of the content of experiences,
• tendencies to social withdrawal, insecurities in socialising and in social relationships,
• lack of concentration, impaired memory, lack of confidence in one's own abilities,
• mood swings, increased vulnerability,
• limited ability to control behaviour (e.g. compulsions, eating disorders).

Support in an acute phase

An acute phase is often signalled by restlessness and sleep disorders combined with the onset of symptoms. There may be residual symptoms for some time after the acute phase. Depending on the clinical picture, symptoms may occur individually or in combination with others.

During these phases close to the illness, the usual performance requirements require significantly more strength and energy and cause increased exhaustion. The balance between demands and one's own limits must be adapted to the respective situation. Like other critical situations, excessive demands can increase the risk of a new bout of illness.
Coping with critical situations - such as examinations, internships or financing problems - is often only possible with professional support and guidance in everyday student life, e.g. from the Central Student Counselling Service, the Psychological Counselling Service, the Disability Counselling Service and other counselling institutions that are familiar with the study process and mentally ill people. In addition, it may be necessary to make (temporary) modifications to the study conditions to meet current performance limits. This includes the granting of compensation for disadvantages, which should make it possible to complete the required coursework and examinations in full while maintaining the academic requirements, but in a form that is tailored to the student's needs.

Numerous compensations for disadvantages in studies and financial aid possible

Examination offices and lecturers often ask whether the regulations on compensation for disadvantages also apply in principle to students with mental illness. In principle, compensation for disadvantages is also applicable to these students. However, in individual cases there may be problems of demarcation between so-called illness-related withdrawal from examinations and compensation for disadvantages in examinations. This is always the case if an existing disability or chronic illness is simultaneously associated with another or a secondary acute illness or with acute phases of illness. For example, in acute phases of a mental illness in which the student is unable to take examinations, the regulations on withdrawal due to illness apply. However, the resulting extensions of study time and the associated problems in the study and examination process must be considered in other contexts.

There may be limits to the compensation for disadvantages in the teaching profession or traineeship, or there are some things to consider in the case of mental illness. You can find out more about the teaching profession on this page.

There is also financial aid and compensation for disadvantages. For example, there are special provisions for BAföG, child benefit, tuition fees and scholarships for disabled and chronically ill students and, by the same token, for students with mental illness.

The Studierendenwerk Oldenburg takes the special needs of students with disabilities/illnesses into account in student housing, for example by giving them preferential consideration when allocating places in halls of residence.

Further information and contact persons

This guide for lecturers can be helpful in educating and sensitising lecturers on how to deal with disabilities and illnesses.

Numerous counselling and support services are offered by the Psychological Counselling Service with individual counselling and workshops.

At the University of Oldenburg there is a final spurt project for long-term students.

There are also numerous counselling centres and self-help services.

For many years, there have also been exchange groups for students with (non-visible) disabilities in Oldenburg.

In general, it is also advisable to consult the disability counsellor Wiebke Hendeß personally on these extensive topics.