Depression is a major disorder that can begin at any age. Major depression may be characterized by a depressed mood most of each day, a lack of pleasure in most activities, thoughts of suicide, sleep problems, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt. In the manic phase, a person might experience inflated self-esteem and a decreased need to sleep. Anxiety disorders can disrupt a person's ability to concentrate and cause hyperventilation, a racing heart, chest pains, dizziness, panic, and extreme fear. Schizophrenia can cause a person to experience, at some point in the illness, delusions and hallucinations.
Psychiatric disabilities affect people of any age, gender, income group, and intellectual level.
Disruptive behavior is not an attribute of most people with psychiatric disabilities. Eighty to ninety percent of people with depression experience relief from symptoms through medication, therapy, or a combination of the two. Depression is a variable condition that may fluctuate during a person's lifetime. The following strategies are suggested to enhance the accessibility of course instruction, materials, and activities. They are general strategies designed to support individualized reasonable accommodations.