The mentally ill student on campus: theory and practice

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Higher Education Policy
• Student Affairs

Background:

• Traditional college policies often lead to the removal of students with mental illness, suicidal ideation, or addiction.
• This approach is based on outdated biases about mental illness and the academic environment.
• Separating students is often presumed to be therapeutically and educationally beneficial, but this is increasingly challenged.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the traditional practice of removing students with mental health issues from campus.
• To explore how cognitive and emotional functioning models can inform better support systems.
• To advocate for creating inclusive and supportive academic environments for all students.

Main Methods:

• Review of traditional college policies and their impact on students with mental health conditions.
• Analysis of cognitive and emotional functioning models to understand student identity.
• Case study of the Skidmore College-Four Winds Hospital program.

Main Results:

• Models recognizing the multifaceted nature of individuals challenge the necessity of student removal.
• Maintaining a student identity is crucial for self-perception and therapeutic outcomes.
• Supportive environments can yield educational benefits for the entire institution.
• Implementing supportive policies requires minimal additional resources.

Conclusions:

• Higher education institutions can create ethical and educationally beneficial environments for students in distress.
• Rethinking policies to be more inclusive and supportive is feasible and advantageous.
• The Skidmore College-Four Winds Hospital program serves as a successful model for integrated support.