Mental Health Storytelling for Disability Justice

Andrea Carol Celestine (She/her) | Posted on February 16, 2025
Two round humanlike figures are positioned near a cliff. There is a sign between them that reads, “Sorry we’re closed.” One of them is standing on top of the cliff and has their arms out from their body in a w-like position and is saying, “You’re overthinking. Just relax.” The other figure is hanging over the edge of the cliff holding on and saying, “Help!”
Image was taken from The State of Student Mental Health at UIC Report
Two round humanlike figures are positioned near a cliff. There is a sign between them that reads, “Sorry we’re closed.” One of them is standing on top of the cliff and has their arms out from their body in a w-like position and is saying, “You’re overthinking. Just relax.” The other figure is hanging over the edge of the cliff holding on and saying, “Help!”

A new report, The State of Student Mental Health at UIC - Storytelling for Disability Justice, authored by Nicole Nguyen and Nico Darcangelo, highlights critical gaps in the University's student's mental health support. 

 

This report summarizes a research project that involved interviews and focus groups with 18 students from different disciplines and backgrounds from UIC's East and West Chicago campuses. The project uses storytelling to collectively imagine mental health on campus through dialogue, art, and resource mapping. Participants engaged in mapping campus resources and their impact on wellbeing, shared personal narratives on mental health within the university, Imagining, through discussion and art, how ideal resources for student wellbeing look like. 

 

"This is about more than statistics," said Nicole Nguyen, one of the project's lead researchers. "It's about understanding the lived experiences of our students and listening to their dreams for systemic change." Art-based storytelling is a powerful method to express what words alone cannot convey. Students drew the nuances of their struggles (these illustrations are available in the report), such as feeling dehumanized during a mental health crisis, isolation, and feeling dismissed by campus services. Beyond capturing valuable data, this also created a space for healing, reflection, and dialogue within the students. 

 

A recurring theme is the disconnect between existing campus resources and students' lived experiences. Students critiqued the university's focus on "compulsory wellness," calling for broader structural reforms that prioritize 'care' over 'crisis' response. A key aspect is the need for small but impactful changes to institutional practices, rather than large resource allocations. Accommodations such as adhering to syllabi, providing clear rubrics, and implementing grace periods reduce stress for students. Students voiced frustration with the bureaucratic hurdles in securing accommodations and adjusting it as their disabilities evolve. The report highlights shortcomings of current campus counseling services and emergency management, particularly the reliance on carceral responses, which deter students from seeking care on campus. The report concludes with a series of short and long term recommendations that can be adopted across campus.

 

To share these findings and foster campus-wide dialogue, a presentation of the research was hosted on November, 20th, followed by an open-mic event that included art, making maps and other activities, related to mental health. This research was funded by the Student Affairs Faculty Research Fellow Program and is a collaboration between UIC United Faculty Common Good and the Disability Cultural Center. Nicole Nguyen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice, received the award and worked with Nico Darcangelo, PhD, Associate Director, Disability Cultural Center this year to complete the research and write the report. 

To access this report, please visit the Disability Cultural Center's website at: https://dcc.uic.edu

 

 

Andrea Carol Celestine (She/her), is an Occupational therapy doctoral student at UIC, focusing her efforts on creating equitable healthcare for Asian American families and advocating for Asian American and international students on campus.