Supporting Students with Mental Health Concerns

Supporting Students with Mental Health Concerns

Faculty and staff often face the opportunity to address and respond to students struggling with their mental health. These instances can come through a variety of avenues. These challenges can be overwhelming for faculty and staff who feel unprepared for the experience.

The first step is to recognize warning signs in students that they may be struggling with a mental health concern.

Signs that a student may be struggling:

• Missing assignments
• Repeated absences
• Academic performance declining
• Reduced participation in class
• Alarming content in assignments
• Excessive fatigue
• Poor personal hygiene
• Inappropriate or exaggerated behavior

Communicating with students you may feel are struggling with their mental health requires a well-thought conversation to acknowledge and provide an understanding of the student experience. These conversation starters can be a great way to introduce the topic.

Sample conversations with students:

Say What You See

• "Hi (student name). I wanted to check in with you. I've noticed that (explain what you have observed), and I wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it. I am here to support you."
• "You seem distracted today. What is going on?"
• "Hey, it seems like you are having a hard time. I am here for you if you want to talk about it."

Show Students You Care

• "I care about your well-being, so I just wanted to check in to see how you're doing. I want to know how I can be the most helpful for you."
• "Thanks for taking some time to talk with me. I wanted to have this conversation because I care about how you're doing and want you to know I'm here to support you in the ways you need."
• "How can I be helpful?"

Hear Them Out

Focus on listening. If questions are helpful:

• "Wow, I'd like to hear more about that. Would you like to share a little more?"
• "I'm sorry, that seems like a difficult situation to be in. What is that like for you?"
• "That sounds really hard. How is that affecting your life?"

Know Your Role

• "I really appreciate you opening up to me."
• "I'm sorry you're going through this and honored that you've been vulnerable with me."
• "It's ok to feel like this."
• "How can I be helpful?"

Connect to Help

• "Thank you for being so open with me. I want to continue this conversation, and I also want to make sure that you're getting the help you need. I really think you may find the counseling services at Health and Wellness Services to be helpful and comforting."
• "Reaching out to counseling services at Health and Wellness Services for the first time can be a little confusing. Would you like help connecting to them?"
• "I really think a professional counselor at Health and Wellness Services can address some of your needs, but sometimes it takes several tries to find a place that is the best fit. If it doesn’t feel like a match, ask them what other resources may be a better fit for your needs."

Identifying a student who may be having a mental health struggle often begins in the classroom. Faculty and staff are the first to see the change in a student through their course interactions. After identifying the student in need, providing understanding and open communication to introduce opportunities for mental health services creates an environment of compassion and trust between the faculty member and student. Compliance with completing services relies on the student.

Counseling services at Health and Wellness Services are available to faculty, staff, and students needing mental health services. We offer personal counseling, drug and alcohol counseling, and accessibility services. Please contact our office if you are concerned about a student or need assistance. We are located on the third floor of the Fischli Wills Center for Student Success, 785-625-4401.