The Impact of Supportive Factors on the Academic Reintegration of Students with Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study

Introduction Returning to college following a psychiatric illness can be overwhelming for students as academic reintegration is a significant undertaking. Psychological distress can negatively impact a student's performance and levels of academic achievement. A better understanding of the factors that facilitate academicreintegration would help mental health professionals, educators, and family members support students more effectively. Methods and Materials The study followed an explorative research design and utilized a purposivesampling technique. The Institute's(National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, NIMHANS) Ethics Committee evaluated and approved this study, while four (4) mental health experts validated the interview schedule. Theprimary researcher (ASR) audio-recorded, transcribed and coded fourteen (14) in-depth interviews.The study supervisors (AJ and TK) verified this procedure.Themes and sub-themes were derivedfrom the codes,and thenthematic analysis was conducted. Results Fivesupportive factors (themes and sub-themes) were derived: 1. Family:Educational qualification of the members, Family accommodations (travelling to the city where the student is studying for additional support).Academic assistance, Freedom to select their educational course; 2.Support from friends and peers: Academic support, Emotional support (caregiving,home visits, sharing problems with them), Logistic support (physically accompanying the student to and from class, providing transport); 3.Support from Teachers and Collegeadministration: Additional academic support from teachers, Reasonable classroom accommodations; 4.SupportfromMental health professionals (MHPs):Providing Pharmacological or Psychosocial Interventions, Follow up,andcontinuous guidance (handholding); 5. Individual factors (students' strengths): High degree of motivation or interest in studies, strong academic record, and healthy coping mechanisms. Conclusion Students with mental illnesses require additional support with academic reintegration. As a result, assisting students in successfully returning to academics is frequently a collaborative effort involving family, peers, mental health professionals, teachers, and college administration.