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Introduction

KELLY: Hi, I’m Dr. Kelly Knight, professor of psychology and clinical therapist.

My colleagues at school often ask me about mental health; maybe they had students they were worried about in the past but didn’t know how to help.

I tell them, you don’t have to specialize in psychology to notice when a student is struggling with stress, sadness, or anxiety; and connecting these students with the school’s mental health services can have a huge impact.

That’s why we created At-Risk for Faculty and Staff, a virtual practice environment that has now been proven effective in multiple research studies and used at close to 400 institutions, preparing tens of thousands of faculty and staff members to better support at-risk students.

This simulation features practice conversations with three virtual students, each struggling with a different emotional challenge that’s affecting their academic performance, classroom behavior, and general wellbeing.

According to the American College Health Association, in the past year close to 60% of college students have experienced “overwhelming anxiety” and over a fourth have had feelings of depression. Fifteen percent had depression symptoms that affected their academic performance.

Studies show that connecting these at-risk students with mental health services improves their academic performance and increases the likelihood that they’ll remain in school.

Here are some signs of distress and substance abuse that faculty and staff often notice. These signs are meaningful on their own and especially meaningful if they’re a change from the student’s past behavior.

Behavioral Signs of Distress

  • Lack of social interaction
  • Difficulty concentrating, dazed
  • Agitation, restlessness
  • Irritability, aggression
  • Mood swings
  • Statements of worthlessness or hopelessness
  • Tearfulness, emotional outbursts
  • Frequent physical complaints (like headaches and stomachaches)

Physical Signs of Distress

  • Noticeable weight gain or loss
  • Disheveled or worsening appearance, poor hygiene
  • Avoidance of eye contact
  • Dilated or constricted pupils
  • Sweaty or flushed skin
  • Absence of facial expression
  • Slow or rapid speech
  • Smell of alcohol

If you feel comfortable, it’s good to chat with students who show signs like these and possibly refer them to mental health services. If you don’t feel comfortable, get someone else involved, like the dean of students or your school’s behavior intervention team. Our “Resources” section has a list of referral points at your school. The important thing is that someone gets involved who can support the student.

KELLY: Gwen is a good student, but Professor Hampton is concerned about her. She wants to meet a lot to talk about assignments and exams, and she seems overly worried about her performance.

On the day of the midterm exam, her voice was trembling, she was shaking, and she could barely catch her breath. Professor Hampton thought she might hyperventilate.

She was supposed to make a class presentation last week, but she left class early. She emailed later, saying she had chest pains and had to go to the doctor.

Now you will read conversations between Professor Hampton and Gwen. Goals for a successful conversation:

  1. Bring up what he’s noticed, focusing on specific, observable behaviors that are less likely to make her defensive. Wherever possible, affirm her strengths so the conversation stays positive.
  2. Ask questions to better understand her behavior, keeping a neutral, nonjudgmental tone.
  3. Then, if it seems necessary, refer her to mental health services. At Professor Hampton’s school, this is known as the “counseling center.” It helps to remind students that counseling is not a failure but a healthy, proactive way to handle stress and become more resilient, and that almost 20% of students use mental health services at some point.

On the next page, we will go over example conversation paths that do well in following these goals, and another example path that doesn't.