Life of the Mind Interrupted: Essays on Mental Health and Disability in Higher Education

By Katie Rose Guest Pryal

Book Overview

Higher education faces a mental health crisis. Life of the Mind Interrupted guides us through it.

While calls for improved accessibility and inclusion in the workplace have gained momentum in recent years, for millions of people who are neurodivergent or struggle with their mental health, the quest for acceptance often happens in the shadows-if at all.

In this collection of relatable and helpful essays, Dr. Pryal, a bipolar-autistic professor and long-time columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education, describes the institutional challenges that she and many others in higher education face and overcome-and how they do so.

The book provides advice for everyone in higher education communities, on topics such as:

Quests for accommodations.Managing disclosure and the fear of discrimination.Coping with stigma.Nurturing allyship.

As hopeful as it is revealing, this book is an essential addition to the conversation on inclusion of neurodiversity and mental health in the workplace and beyond.

"If you want to understand how higher education is built, and not built, for people with disabilities-especially mental health-related ones-Pryal's book is for you." -Book Riot

"Pryal writes with a refreshing and raw honesty. A must-read, not just for those in academia." -BookTrib Magazine

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1947834908
• ISBN13: 9781947834903
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Blue Osprey Books
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"