After struggling with depression for years, my first semester of freshman year ended abruptly.I attempted suicide.Consequently, I was admitted to a mental hospital, and asked to take a medical leave from school.Of course, my intention and ability to hurt myself frightened me, but the fear of never returning to school terrified me more than anything.
Previously, I had read multiple articles about students being forced to withdraw as a result of a suicide attempt. While it is understandable that colleges are protecting themselves against future lawsuits, kicking students out, threatening them, and harassing them is not an appropriate response.In fact, this response may worsen the student’s depression because he feels powerless.They simply “wipe their hands of” students and encourage students to stay home when instead they should support students and offer resources to help them.
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Mental illness is never the patient's fault.
People do not choose to have mental illnesses, so they should not be penalized for being sick.Therefore, schools should not try to kick a student out or put them on probation for a suicide attempt.
Not every mentally ill patient is violent.
While it may be tempting for administrators to label every student with a mental illness as a threat to the school, doing so would be an act of discrimination.According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the term “disability” includes “Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia each substantially limits brain function.” https://www.ada.gov/regs2016/final_rule_adaaa.html
This means it is covered under the "The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehab Act) [which] is a federal law, similar to the ADA, that applies to any agency or group that receives federal funding, including public schools, universities and even some private schools. This law protects federal government workers and employees at any of these agencies from disability discrimination." https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/Succeeding-at-Work
When I left school, I felt like a criminal.I was forced to cut contact with certain friends and had to clear out my room immediately.I felt disposable, like I was a minuscule number, and someone else was coming to replace me.Other students have reported similar experiences. According to The New Yorker, a freshman at Princeton University who attempted suicide was forced to take a leave of absence, was not allowed on campus, and lost touch with many of his friends as a result.http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/suicidal-students-allowed-campus Having a solid support system is crucial to recovery from a mental illness, and a support system includes more than family members and mental health professionals; it includes peers, professors, and friends as well. Furthermore, unless the student has violated the honor code or the rules of the university, he should not be forced to leave or be treated like a threat.
Peer support is crucial to recovery.
Often, colleges forget that students with mental illnesses can benefit from peer support.They become so entangled in seeking out professional help (which is great) that they forget that socialization is a basic human want.Most people want to feel accepted, so isolating a student with a mental illness from his peers may be detrimental to his well-being.
Colleges must keep in mind that how they treat students can affect a student’s recovery from mental illness immensely. No one wants to be shunned or stripped of their rights, and colleges should respect that.Of course, there is a fine line between enabling a student to hurt himself or others and respecting a student’s rights and catering to his basic human needs, but colleges need to learn not to cross that line.
