Mental disorders
If you experience difficulties in your studies as a result of a documented mental disorder or developmental disorder, you can receive assistance through SPS.
On this page, you can read more about the available support options.
Examples of mental disorders
There are many different mental disorders for which you can receive support. Here are examples of some of them:
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Personality disorder
- You can also receive support if you have a medically documented stress reaction.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and you are always welcome to contact us if you want to learn more about the support options that are available to you.
Typical study difficulties
Common study difficulties for individuals with mental disorders may include:
- Severe concentration problems when reading, writing, and participating in classes.
- A tendency to procrastinate, resulting in a buildup of tasks leading up to exams.
- Difficulty in maintaining an overview of one's studies and struggling to structure and plan the course of study.
- Problems in grasping and organizing assignments and course material.
- Difficulty in prioritizing tasks and focusing on the most important aspects of subjects.
- Struggles in handling situations related to performance, evaluation, or new and unfamiliar tasks.
- Difficulties in attending classes and participating in study groups due to anxiety or problems in deciphering social rules.
- Problems in building and utilizing study networks.
- Finding it challenging to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and having a reduced tolerance for stress.
- Difficulty in attending classes
Possbilities of support
As a student with a neurological disorder, you can be granted hours with an educational counselor and with a mentor. For some, it may also be possible to obtain IT aids. You can read more about the options below. In the conversation with an SPS counselor, you can also learn more about the support that can be applied for on your behalf
Mentor
You can receive support through an academic mentorship program, where your mentor is typically a more experienced student or a graduate within your field of study or a related field. Your educational counselor ensures that you and your study mentor are well introduced to each other, and that the focus of your collaboration is agreed upon and adjusted along the way. Additionally, your study mentor receives ongoing supervision from your educational counselor to ensure that the effort supports you as effectively as possible.
You and your mentor can, for instance, focus on:
- Gaining an overview of the semester and establishing a good study structure.
- Deciphering the real expectations of your studies and individual courses and exams.
- Incorporating good study habits and reading strategies.
- Building confidence and enthusiasm for participating in academic and social opportunities within your program.
- Discussing what you've learned to enhance your learning outcomes and active participation in classes and study groups.
- Preparing effectively for meetings with your academic advisors and translating their input into concrete tasks.
- Learning to navigate and use the study's communication platforms, allowing you to manage your own course schedules and exams effectively.
Educational counselor
You can also go through a counseling process with an educational counselor, possibly along side a mentorship program. The counseling process is designed to assist you in managing your emotional, behavioral, and cognitive difficulties related to your education. The counseling process consists of a series of conversations with a counselor from Rådgivnings- og støttecentret.
Dictaphone
Some students with mental difficulties may need to be granted various forms of assistive technology due to their academic challenges in lecture and educational settings. A typical aid is a digital voice recorder (dictaphone)
