Trinity College Dublin Disability 4 th Annual
Symposium
The Balance between Individual Support and an
:
Inclusive College Environment: The Role for
Disability Services in Working with Students
Experiencing Mental Health Difficulties.
June 2015
Declan Treanor
Director, Disability Service
Trinity College Dublin

New frontier…
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

“Mental health is a most important, maybe the most important, public health issue, which even the poorest society must afford to promote, to protect and to invest in.”
(World Health Organisation, 2003
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Interesting facts
1 in 4 people will experience a mental health difficulties every year.
Source: Mind UK
9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience discrimination and stigma Source: Time To Change
Only 4 in 10 employers would hire someone with a mental health condition Source: Department for Work and Pensions UK
Nearly 3 in 4 young people fear the reactions of their friends when discussing their mental health problems Source: Time To Change
A person with depression is at least 50% more disabled than someone with angina, arthritis, asthma or diabetesSource: London School of
Economics
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Ahead participation report 2013/14
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

AHEAD participation survey 13-14
• Of the 9694 students represented in the disability profile…
• 1054 (10.9%) have a Mental Health Condition;
• Of the 2576 new entrant undergraduate students with disabilities…
• 257 (10%) have a Mental Health Condition, 83 (3.2%);
• Of the 2185 final year undergraduate students with disabilities
• 245 (11.2%) have a Mental Health Condition;
• Postgrad - Mental Health Condition (15%)
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

DARE Applications by Disability 2014
Disability Category
ADD/ADHD
Asperger's Syndrome / Autism
Blind / vision impaired
Deaf / Hard of Hearing
DCD – Dysgraphia / Dyspraxia
Mental Health Condition
Multiple Disabilities - Cross Compensation
Neurological Conditions
Significant Ongoing Illness
Physical Disability
SLD
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
323
384
8
175
443
133
1418
Total
193
194
46
107

ESF-Fund for students with disabilities
Review of the Fund for students with disabilities taking place in 2015
HEIs Total
FE Sector
¢7,621,615
¢2,368,447
Mental Health Applications in HE
MH applications in HE with DS MH supports
8,513
1,389
767 - 10%
18%
Funding is at the general allocation rate varies from HEI to others range
¢20 to ¢500 per student
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity data
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity newly registering with DS 14-15
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity total registered with DS in 14-15
ADHD and ADD 75
Autistic Spectrum Disorder 68
Dyspraxia
HOH/Deaf
Intellectual disability
Medical/SOI
Mental Health
Neurological
Physical
Speech Language
Visual Impairment
Total
49
107
3
31
1313
75
38
13
161
294
Total
Eng, Maths
Arts, H, & SS and Science
Health
Sciences
Multi School
Multi Faculty
(includes TSM)
16
46
1
10
409
16
18
13
15
17
118
48
91
8
2
0
15
14
60
19
32
7
15
1
2
175
46
48
9
8
0
16
3
99
10
20
1
3
263
29
34
122
42
10
0
48
123
16
26
0
16
466
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Observations
Trinity College has the highest number and the highest proportion of students with mental health difficulties of any HEI in Ireland.
Mental health conditions are regarded as the most prevalent of all disability types and therefore it is likely that they are simply under diagnosed and under disclosed in other HEIs.
In Trinity, 33% of all students with disabilities who withdraw are students with MH (91 of 277, 2003-2013;
Students are choosing to disclose more often than students did 5 to 10 years ago but do not identify with the disability label or service;
Do better academically when they register for support early (use or uptake of support varies considerably);
Often take longer to progress through HE compared to students without disabilities (medical repeats or time off);
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Disability Services and MH
Student with MH do not identify with a disability or want to engage with
Disability Services (DS);
Need to define supports better for this group;
DS struggling to know who to effectively support this student cohort;
DS not confident in understanding the needs, impacts of the MH on student and how to get students to engage;
Unclear what Reasonable Accommodations will work;
Fitness to study issues and lack of policy;
Fitness to practice issues and difficulties dealing with students with MH in this arena.
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin