Mandatory Psychiatric Withdrawal of Severely Disturbed Students

Barriers to higher education for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

“…Reluctance by students with psychiatric disabilities to approach campus service providers may be due to institutional policies for mandatory withdrawal from school for psychiatric illness (Unger, 1998; DiScala, Olswang, & Niccolls, 1992; Dannells & Stuber, 1992; Hoffmann & Mastrianni, 1991; Brown & DeCoster, 1989; Gehring, 1983) or to attitudes of faculty and administrators that students with psychiatric disabilities are disruptive, incompetent, or dangerous (Wahl, 1999; Unger, 1998; Loewen, 1993). However, the perception that most students with psychiatric disabilities will be disruptive was not supported in this study.…”

“…Colleges and universities are not emphasizing the development of on-campus accommodations for students with psychiatric disabilities (Unger, 1998). Instead, much of the literature on students with psychiatric disabilities assumes that such students are perpetrators of campus disruptions (Dannells & Stuber, 1992; DiScala, Olswang, & Niccolls, 1992; Amada, 1986; Gehring, 1983). This emphasis has continued despite a lack of empirical evidence in its support.…”

Campus mental health services: Recommendations for change.

“…Campus counseling, disability offices, faculty, and staff still hold beliefs that mental illnesses necessarily produce cognitive deficits and/or disruptive behaviors (Brown, 2000). Much of the literature on postsecondary services for students with psychiatric disabilities focuses on mandatory withdrawals and violence rather than on comprehensive programs to support students (Dannells & Stuber, 1992; Hoffmann & Mastrianni, 1991).…”

The benefits and challenges of supported education: A personal perspective.

“…Again, no citations turned up from key words like “mental health,” “psychiatric,” or “emotional.” After searching with several different techniques, articles were found: the key words—“disruptive student.” Although many of these articles were targeted to college counselors, their main point was how to get these students off the campus. In fact, even as recently as 5 to 10 years ago (before the ADA), many universities had policies that a psychiatric diagnosis alone (irrespective of academic performance, or disruptive behavior) would be enough to cause a student suspension (Dannells & Stuber, 1992; DiScala, Olswang, & Niccolls, 1992; Gehring, 1983; Gift & Southwick, 1988).…”