DS has been struggling with his mental health for almost 18 months. The GP prescribed him antidepressants for the first time last November. He was never given an official 'diagnosis' by the doctor but with hindsight he had many of the symptoms of depression (low mood and tearfulness, poor concentration, poor sleep, negative thoughts, no motivation or enjoyment in life). He still takes the medication daily and is due to begin counselling in a few weeks. The medication has helped, but DS only now feels in a place to access counselling so this may stir up some problems again.
He was in his final year of her degree last year, and at his lowest point was struggling to manage it to the extent that he considered deferring for a year. Thankfully the medication has helped him and he managed to finish his degree as planned, albeit with informal agreement with the course exams officer to support him (eg understanding if he submitted an extension form for assignments etc). This year he is starting a masters, and we are wondering if it would be worth registering with the uni's disability services? It would help him to know that there is an official plan (rather than the informal arrangement he had last year) in place to support him if necessary, and would remove some of the worry he feels about what happens if his mental health takes a tumble again. He is feeling better compared to this time last year but still has some wobbles and is definitely not 100% there yet, and the stress of the masters and counselling may exacerbate this. However, as the GP never verbally told him 'you are suffering from depression', will he be able to access these uni services?