Are you wondering whether and how you should communicate your mental illness or neurodivergence in a university context or during an internship? If your impairment is not visible (at first glance), you can decide for yourself how openly you would like to talk about it. This is a very personal decision that always depends on your current situation in life, how much stress you are under in your everyday university life and what you want to achieve by disclosing.
You may be worried that you will be met with incomprehension or rejection if you reveal more about yourself. Perhaps you are hoping for more understanding from your fellow students or would like to make use of your university’s opportunities for equal opportunities.
These are understandable thoughts and you don’t have to do anything at first – take your time (with support if you like) to think about what you feel comfortable and confident with when dealing with your impairment. It’s also fine if you prefer to keep it yourself. However, in order to take advantage of certain support offers, such as reasonable accommodations or student grants and loans (BAföG), it is necessary to disclose them.
We have compiled information and suggestions to support you in your decision-making process.
We were inspired by the University of Cologne’s project „Sag ich’s? Chronisch krank im Job“.
Take your time to prepare
To make an informed decision, take your time to think about what exactly you want to disclose and how you want to deal with possible reactions. You will not make this decision just once – dealing with your impairment is a process, and the circumstances or your state of health may change. Even if you decide not to say anything, this is a decision that has consequences. Find out about your rights in advance.
- WHY: What is the reason for the conversation? E.g. do you want to make adjustments to your studies or explain a longer absence? What do you hope to gain from this? Is it simply about listening, about emotional or practical support? You can also communicate this.
- WHO: Who would you like to talk to? What is your relationship like? For example, you could talk with your favourite fellow student or a person in psychological counselling first. Would you like to speak to one person or more people? Can someone accompany you to the interview? E.g. you can ask a fellow student to accompany you to talk to a teacher.
- WHAT: How much exactly do you want to reveal? How much information is relevant for your relationship? For example, you can mention the diagnosis or only current specific symptoms or effects on your everyday study life.
- WHEN: When is a good time for a conversation? For example, you could have it right at the start of the semester, before exams, or you could wait until there is no other option.
- WHERE: What setting do all participants feel comfortable with? A quiet corner in the café or the lecturer’s office is probably better than a crowded corridor between two classes.
It can help to prepare a sentence that you can use, e.g. if fellow students ask you where you were last semester when you return after a period of leave. You could try „I took a break last semester for health reasons, now I’m back.“ . To initiate a conversation, „I would like to discuss something with you in private – do you have time for a chat?“ or „I haven’t been feeling so well recently. Can I talk to you about it?“ might work.
Don’t expect too much from a first conversation, give the other person time to process what you’ve said. Perhaps they have further questions or you can talk about it again at a later date. Take good care of yourself: make sure you maintain your personal boundaries and seek professional support if necessary. You could also inform a friend or your therapist in advance that the conversation will take place so that you can discuss it together afterwards.
Talking to people who have had similar experiences in a safe environment can also help, e.g in a self-help group setting.
Making your decision
Communicating your own mental illness or neurodivergence requires courage, because there is always the possibility that the information will not be received as hoped. At the same time, it can be an important step towards greater self-acceptance and open the door to a wide range of support options. Disclosure is required for certain study adjustments and BAföG.
As food for thought, here are a few possible positive and negative consequences of disclosing your impairment. Whether these worries and hopes are justified will only become clear once you have made your decision.
Thoughts in favour of disclosure
- You are taking an active, self-empowered step to take control of how you deal with your impairment yourself
- You will learn to communicate your own limits and needs and practise dealing with your impairment for your future professional life
- You can take advantage of study adjustments such as reasonable accommodation or part-time study and benefits such as an extension of the student grant or extension of student health insurance, as well as adapted framework conditions in the internship, and thus better develop your potential
- You can take advantage of support services (university counselling services, direct support from lecturers and fellow students)
- You avoid the risk of negative misinterpretations of your behaviour, to which uninformed people could react with rejection or distance
- You create the opportunity for more understanding and connection, more open communication with your teachers and fellow students
- You don’t have to pretend as much, you don’t have to hide your impairment and you can feel more seen
- Disclosure enables exchange with other students with disabilities, you can find community and encourage others to show themselves as they are
- You can make diversity visible, point out needs and pave the way for others affected
Thoughts that speak against disclosure
- Concern about discrimination or stigmatisation or the risk of discrimination or stigmatisation on a structural or interpersonal level
- A possible change in your relationship with fellow students and teachers (they could treat you differently due to prejudices, e.g. trust you less or distance themselves from you)
- You want to clearly separate your private and university life
- The risk of disappointment if study adjustments are not approved or reactions do not turn out as hoped
- You might fear consequences due to a relationship of dependence to teachers or poorer assessment
- You are worried about feeling alone, different or excluded or do not want to receive special treatment
- You are worried that an officially recognised health impairment will make it more difficult to find an internship or a job later on
- Your diagnosis is new and you want to protect yourself and come to terms with it first