How to Help a Student in Distress
Students under pressure may struggle silently. This guide offers guidance to help you recognize signs of distress and respond with empathy, support and appropriate resources.
1. Be Aware of Signs of Distress
Agitation or Irritability
- More conflicts with classmates and others.
- Undue aggressive or abrasive behavior
Emotional Changes
- More emotional than normal; tired in class
- Easily upset by small situations
Fearfulness or Anxiety
- Dependency (excessively clingy)
- Frequent absences or lack of participation
2. Express Your Concern with an Open Dialogue
At this time, you may find it useful to have a private conversation with the student to express your concerns. If you notice warning signs or concerning behaviors during your interaction with the student and ask about the student’s situation.
Tips:
- Directly ask about concerns and/or warning signs
- Directly ask about suicide/homicide as it relates to the displayed warning signs
3. Do you believe the student is in imminent danger?
Please choose the option below that most accurately reflects your assessment.
Yes, imminent danger is clearly present.
Do NOT leave the student alone.
Examples:
- Student is disoriented, found unconscious or unresponsive
- Student tells you that they have ingested pills beyond the recommended dose
- Student attempts or is threatening immediate danger to self
- Student attempts or threatens to cause physical harm to someone else
Immediately:
- Call PNW Campus Police at (219) 989-2222
Unclear whether imminent danger exists.
Examples:
- Student makes statements that are suggestive of suicidal/homicidal thinking that are not indicative of imminent danger (“I can’t do this anymore”)
- Student appears to be emotionally distraught and does not respond to your attempts to calm them
- Student experiences a sudden stressful event (death in family, breakup, etc.) and seems emotionally unstable/inconsolable OR the student’s response seems unusual (blunted facial expressions, unresponsive verbally, refuses to talk to you)
- Student’s communications contain material that raises concern about suicide, homicide and/or violence
Next Steps
- During Business Hours:
- Call the Counseling Center at (219) 989-2366. Encourage students to come to the Counseling Center for assessment of risk.
- After Business Hours:
- Call the PNW Police Department (219) 989-2222 to conduct an assessment.
- Faculty/staff member stays with the student until PNW PD arrives.
No, imminent danger is not present.
Examples:
- Student is very upset about a breakup, but denies any suicidal/homicidal thoughts and shows no warning signs
- Student reports anxiety and depression, but denies suicidal/homicidal thoughts and shows no warning signs
- Student’s best friend recently died, but denies suicidal/homicidal thoughts and shows no warning signs
- Student reports self-injurious behaviors (cutting or burning), but denies suicidal/homicidal thoughts and shows no warning signs
Next Steps
- Listen and provide support.
- Provide information about the Counseling Center and/or other campus resources that may be helpful, and address concerns the student may have about these resources.
- If the student is open to counseling:
- Please encourage them to walk in to the Counseling Center or call the office to schedule an intake appointment.
- How to make an appointment
- If the student is not open to counseling:
- Respectfully accept their decision. Remind them that the resources of the office are voluntary and available when they are ready.
- Do you have thoughts of ending your life and/or have you had thoughts of suicide?
- Have you engaged in harming yourself?
- If yes, are you engaging in self-harm to end your life?
- If yes, in what way(s) have you recently tried to harm yourself?
- How long have you felt this way?
- Do you have a plan to end your life and/or engage in self-harm?
- If yes, what is your plan?
- Do you have access to the means to end your life or engage in self-harm?
- What is your intent to end your life?
- Expect to carry out the plan and/or the plan/act is lethal, and unable to find reasons for living.
- Have you previously attempted to end your life?
- If yes, when and how long ago?
- What are your reasons for leaving?
- What leads you to not engage in self-harm and/or stops you from attempting to end your life?
- How have you been coping with these feelings?