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EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

Students experience emotional distress (depression, anxiety, stress, etc.) in a myriad of ways and for a number of reasons (family, financial, academic, interpersonal, and social difficulties). While many students will cope successfully with stress, for some, these difficulties can become unmanageable and require added resources and support to be successful. Stress that is not addressed can lead to significant academic, psychological, and even physical risk. To know more about How to Support Mental Health in the Classroom please review JED Foundation’s Faculty Guide to Supporting Student Mental Health (page 4).

Signs:  

  • Unusual irritability, outbursts of anger, unexplained crying, excessive anxiety, or fatigue
  • Self-disclosure of personal distress
  • Alcohol or drug abuse or other self-destructive behaviors including evidence of self-harm
  • Repeated Absence and consistent late submissions or missed  assignments 
  • Alarming or worrisome content in the assignment 
  • Noticeable decline in academic or work performance
  • Expresses despair, hopelessness, apathy etc.
  •  Deterioration in physical appearance or poor hygiene
  • Overly demanding of faculty and staff time and attention  
  • You find yourself providing more personal than academic or work-related work support 

What to do:

  1. Express concern: Talk to the student in a private setting, express what you have noticed (observed behaviors) that has concerned you about their wellbeing.   
  2. Consult and/or refer to CAPS and or CAPS Crisis Line
  3. Refer the student to the Student Support Team
  4. Consult with and/or refer the student to SASC for accommodations related to accessibility needs 
  5. Also remember that Timelycare provides 24/7 virtual access to medical and mental health services, right from your device or computer.

Important to remember:   

  • It is best to maintain professional boundary and use campus resources to aid emotionally distressed students 
  • Be aware that establishing a counseling relationship with the student of concern may become overly demanding for you
  • When expressing concern to the student or consulting or reporting to a campus resource, it is best to  focus on the observed behaviors and not their intentions or motivations
  • Attend a Question Persuade and Refer (QPR) session to understand response and referral process better