Recognizing and Assisting Students in Distress
Courtesy of Washington & Lee University

1. Be alert to signs of difficulty including:
• Deterioration in quality of work
• A drop in grades
• Repeated absences from class
• Essays or creative work which indicate extremes of hopelessness, social isolation, rage, fear or despair.
• Unprovoked anger or hostility
• Excessive dependency
• Tearfulness
• Deterioration in physical appearance
• Excessive fatigue
• Visible changes in weight
2. Take these signs seriously
3. Communicate with the student
4. Specifically point out the signs you’ve observed
5. Listen to the student’s response
6. Refer
7. Respect the student’s decision about counseling.
8. Recognize an emergency situation
9. Respect confidentiality