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Some Signs and Symptoms of a Student in Distress:
Signs of a distressed student generally include extreme emotions, strange behaviors,
threatening behavior, and significant changes in usual functioning.
1. Academic Difficulties
- Quality of academic work is noticeably inconsistent with previous work
- Repeated requests for special consideration, such as incompletes
- Infrequent class attendance with little or no work completed
- Pattern of low grades
2. Physical Signs
- Marked changes in personal hygiene or other forms of self-care
- Disheveled or fatigued appearance
- Listlessness, lack of energy
- Dramatic changes in weight
3. Social Withdrawal
- Withdrawal from peers, friends and family
- Avoidance of social interaction in general
4. Strange Behaviors and Impaired Thinking
- Bizarre or strange behaviors that are obviously inappropriate to the situation
- Incoherent speech
- Delusional and/or irrational thinking
- Agitation, noticeable restlessness
- Unusual difficulty when making decisions
- Other behaviors not typical of the student
5. Uncontrolled Emotions
- Intense anxiety
- Irritability and anger
- Depressed mood
- Frequent tearfulness and/or crying spells
6. Threatening Statements and Behaviors
- Threats to harm self or others
- Threatening behaviors (i.e., gestures, notes, drawings, etc.)
- Disruptive behaviors (i.e., outbursts, defiance, non-compliance, etc.)
7. Substance Abuse
- Public intoxication
- Body/clothing odor
- Appearing to be under the influence of a controlled substance (i.e., imbalance, slurred
speech, intense emotions, etc.)
Guidelines for Intervention:
There is not a "formula" to follow when responding to a distressed student. However,
it is most important to approach the student in a calm, gentle manner conveying genuine
concern and sincerity. Keep in mind that active listening and supporting the student
are often effective interventions. Another key aspect of intervening is to determining
the urgency of the situation.
The more life-threatening the situation appears, the more rapidly one needs to intervene
in bringing in appropriate resources. If the student seems disoriented or incoherent
or if the situation appears imminently life-threatening, we recommend that you call
the TSU Campus Police at (713) 313-7000. Following this, we recommend that you call
us (University Counseling Center) at (713) 313-7804 to assist with stabilizing the
student.
The following guidelines apply when the situation does not appear to be imminently
life-threatening:
- Request to speak with the student privately.
- Describe the behaviors or signs that concern you.
- Listen carefully, avoiding interruptions and asking too many questions.
- Show concern and interest.
- Repeat back the essence of what the student has told you.
- Avoid criticizing or sounding judgmental.
- Refrain from telling the student what to do.
- Assist in identifying options available to the student, including relevant resources
available to the student.
- Consider the University Counseling Center (UCC) as a resource and discuss a referral
with the student.
- If the student resists help and you are worried, contact UCC to discuss your concerns.
Maintaining appropriate boundaries when providing assistance to distressed students
can be challenging. Intervening can be a gratifying experience when kept within realistic
limits. It is the student's choice whether to receive services or not. Remember, that
providing these types of services to our students is our primary responsibility and
we invite you to call on us at any time.
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