The nature of chronic health conditions often contributes to why students may struggle to manage them, as well as why people around them might misunderstand and unintentionally act as a barrier for students to feel understood and supported.
1. Invisible vs. visible health conditions
Chronic health conditions are often invisible, and as a result have a greater capacity for being misunderstood.
- Ex. A student with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may have to visit the bathroom often during class. From an outside perspective, this might be labeled as disruptive as it is not a visible condition.
Any visible aspects of a chronic health condition might also be misunderstood by the public if proper education and awareness are not provided.
- Ex. A student with a thyroid condition or a student starting psychotropic medication for their mental health condition might experience weight gain. Due to weight stigma and/or toxic fitness culture, they might be labeled as being “unhealthy” or “lazy”.
Sometimes the condition may only be visible due to treatment or the presence of an accessibility tool. (Ex. The presence of a mobility aid or bodily changes like hair loss due to medication)
When chronic health conditions are invisible:
- People are often quick to judge or misunderstand.
- It is harder for someone experiencing these conditions to seek help, especially ongoing support due to stigma.
- The burden to prove that their condition affects them can be a frustrating and repetitive experience, especially when trying to acquire a diagnosis.
- In a qualitative study of university students in the United Kingdom with chronic illnesses, participants expressed that because their disability was invisible, they were often treated with less acceptance and understanding of their disability compared to if their disability had been visible (Hamilton et al., 2023).
2. Episodic nature (Fluctuations)
The symptoms of chronic health conditions can worsen or “flare up” for many reasons. One of the biggest contributors to these flare ups can be stress (Public Service Commission of Canada, 2007). Stress has been shown to impact chronic health conditions directly and indirectly (such as lack of sleep, lack of time for self-care, etc.) and since the post-secondary period can be extremely stressful, f lare-ups can be common. When flare ups are unpredictable, students are unable to prepare and may have a hard time completing their academic responsibilities.
3. Overlapping nature (Multimorbidity)
As mentioned in Table 1, many systems in the body can be impacted by a singular chronic health condition, which can lead to multiple chronic health conditions existing at the same time (Whitson & Boyd, 2024).
- Ex. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) impacts the reproductive system (such as the fertility and menstrual cycle). However, it is also associated with insulin sensitivity and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (Purwar & Nagpure, 2022).
These different symptoms within different areas of the body can often feed into each other indirectly and make the condition worse. Because of this, students may need support in ways that go beyond a primary care physician and address each component of their symptoms through a team of health care professionals. This can be an incredibly exhausting process if the care they need is not readily accessible.
Health Care in Canada
It is important to note that securing interprofessional care within the Canadian health care system can be incredibly challenging. Canada continues to lag behind in chronic health condition management (Nasmith L. et al., 2010), with minimal improvement in the delivery and coordination of primary care over the last decade (Aggarwal et al., 2023). Since 2014, the growth rate of family doctors has declined by nearly 50% (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2024) and roughly 35% of Canadians wait more than 3 months for an initial consultation with a medical specialist (Statistics Canada, 2025). Compared to other developed countries, Canada underperforms in care coordination; physicians report poor communication between health care providers and inadequate staffing which can cause fragmented care and negatively impact patient outcomes (Zhang, 2025).
For students with chronic conditions, these systemic challenges can leave them physically and emotionally exhausted in navigating a health care system that is not yet fully equipped for supporting patients with complex and ongoing needs.
