Faculty & Staff Guide:
Assisting the Emotionally Distressed Student

As a member of the Whittier College community, you are constantly interacting with students. At times, you will have contact with students whose attitudes or behaviors will cause you concern, discomfort, or may interfere in the education of other students. The difficulty is that most often, these types of people or situations do not go away.

As a faculty or staff member, interacting daily with students, you are in an excellent position to recognize behavior changes that characterize the emotionally troubled student. A student's behavior, especially if it is inconsistent with your previous observations, could well constitute an inarticulate "cry for help."

This information was created to help you when these difficult occasions occur. It offers straightforward advice, techniques and suggestions on how to cope with, intervene, and assist troubled and/or difficult students in or out of the classroom.

The original version of this information was created in 1983 at Humboldt State University. Since that time, it has been adapted and amended by many campuses whose counseling center directors participate in the Organization of Counseling Center Directors in Higher Education (OCCDHE.) We are grateful to this organization, and especially to the counselors at Humboldt State, whose 1998 revision of the text was amended for use at Whittier College.


Guidelines for Intervention

Openly acknowledging to students that you are aware of their distress, sincerely concerned about their welfare, and willing to help them explore their alternatives, can have a profound positive effect. We encourage you, whenever possible, to speak directly and honestly to a student when you sense that he/she is in academic and/or personal distress.

  1. Request to see the student in private. This may help minimize embarrassment and defensiveness.
  2. Briefly acknowledge your observations and perceptions of their situation. Express your concerns directly and honestly.
  3. Listen carefully and try to see the issues from the students' point of view without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing.
  4. Attempt to identify the problem. You can help by exploring alternatives to deal with the concern.
  5. Inappropriate and strange behavior should not be ignored. Comment on what you have observed, but not in a judgmental way.
  6. Flexibility with strict procedures may allow an alienated student to respond more effectively to your concerns.
  7. Involve yourself only as far as you want to go. At times, in an attempt to reach or help a troubled student, you may become more involved than time or skill permits.

Consultation and Referral

Location: Haverhill A (Next to Campus Safety)
Hours: 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday
Counselor on call: evenings and weekends; call Campus Safety, x 4211

Consultation:
If you are unsure of how to handle a specific student, we encourage you to consult with the Director of Counseling Services, Shikana T. Porter, Ph.D. Call the counseling center, 562-907-4239, identify yourself to the receptionist, and state that you need a consultation. If the director is not immediately available, let the receptionist know if it is an emergency; if it is not, the director will return your call as soon as possible.

A brief consultation may help you to sort out the relevant issues and explore alternative approaches. Conveying your concern and willingness to help in any way you can (including referral) is probably the most important thing you can do. Your support, encouragement, and reassurance will be particularly valuable.

Referral:
When you do discuss a referral to Counseling Services, it would be helpful for the student to hear in a clear and concise manner your concerns and why you think counseling would be helpful. Also, having the student call for an appointment increases her/his responsibility and commitment to come in for counseling. However, there may be times when it is more advantageous for you to make the phone call, with the student in your office, to facilitate this process. We will ask the student to get on the line to affirm the best day and time for an appointment.

You may even want to accompany the student to the counseling center for an immediate appointment. If you do, please call to let us know you are on your way.

Urgent concerns that usually require immediate intervention are:

  • Suicide
  • Fear of losing control and possibly harming/hurting someone
  • Sexual assault
  • Physical assault
  • Abuse
  • Recent death of a friend or family member

All discussions are held confidential, by law, except when the student presents a danger to him or herself or others, or when certain kinds of abuse are involved. All Services are Free to currently enrolled Whittier College students. Our individual counseling services are designed for students who can benefit from short term, problem-focused counseling. If long term therapy is indicated, the student may be referred to an appropriate off campus resource. Referrals are also made if psychiatric services (e.g., medications) are required.

Please know that if you have referred a student to counseling services, we cannot, by law, consult with you about their attendance or the content of their conversations with us, unless the student (client) signs a written consent for us to do so. We will always suggest that you follow up with the student directly, to learn whether the student came to the counseling center and whether the student found it helpful to do so.

The Depressed Student

Depression, and the variety of ways it manifests itself, is part of a natural emotional and physical response to life's ups and downs.

With the busy and demanding life of a college student, it is safe to assume that most students will experience periods of reactive (or situational) depression in their college careers. 

It is when the depressive symptoms become so EXTREME or are so enduring that they begin to interfere with the student's ability to function in school, work, or social environment, that the student will come to your attention and be in need of assistance.

Due to the opportunities which faculty and staff have to observe and interact with students, they are often the first to recognize that a student is in distress.

Look for a pattern of these indicators:
  • Tearfulness/general emotionality
  • Markedly diminished performance
  • Infrequent class attendance
  • Lack of energy/motivation
  • Increased anxiety (generalized, test, performance)
  • Irritability
  • Deterioration in personal hygiene
  • Significant weight loss or gain
  • Alcohol or drug use

Students experiencing depression often respond well to a small amount of attention for a short period of times. Early intervention increases the chances of the student's return to previous performance.

Helpful to:

  • Let the student know you're aware she/he is feeling down and you would like to help
  • Reach out more than halfway and encourage the student to discuss how she/he is feeling
  • Offer options to further investigate/manage their symptoms of depression
  • Ask whether the student is suicidal, if you think she/he may be

Not Helpful to:

  • Minimize the student's feelings (everything will be better tomorrow)
  • Bombard the student with "fix it" solutions or advice
  • Ignore signs that the student may be thinking of suicide.

The Suicidal Student

In the current student culture, suicidal thinking is common. In a typical year, 80% of the students who come to the Whittier College counseling center indicate "feeling depressed or unhappy;" 12% indicate "thinking of killing myself;" 25% present with some degree of suicide concern.

It is important to view all suicidal comments as serious. Watching for some of the following behaviors will also give you clues to what's going on with a student. If several of these are true, refer the student to Counseling for assessment.

  • Sleeping much more and later than used to
  • Not sleeping well and waking up early
  • Taking lot of naps
  • Appetite has changed so that the student is not hungry, or overeats
  • Withdrawing from friends and family
  • Not attending class
  • Expresses hopelessness or guilt
  • Sudden mood or behavior changes
  • Giving possessions away
  • Expresses that life isn't worth the trouble

There are generally four areas that counselors explore with students who are depressed and have some level of suicide ideation, to assess the likelihood that they will make a suicide attempt:

  1. Do they have a well-developed plan that includes an easily available method?
  2. Have they attempted in the past?
  3. Has a friend, family member or acquaintance taken her/his life through suicide?
  4. Do they use substances such as alcohol and other depressants that can also weaken impulse control?

Examining these four areas will help in determining how serious is the threat of a student taking her/his life.

Helpful to:

  • Talk about suicide openly and directly
  • Be confident, caring, and know the resources available
  • Take charge and bring the student to the Counseling Center
  • Listen to the small voice inside that says, "something isn't right with this student"
  • After hours, call Campus Safety for assistance in monitoring the student, and in contacting the counselor on call

Not Helpful to

  • Get overly involved with the student, without obtaining consultation
  • Ignore comments like, "I won't be a problem much longer" or "nothing matters; it's no use"
  • Be too busy to intervene

Violence and Verbally Aggressive Student

Violence: "to use force so as to injure or damage; roughness in action; to outrage, to force, to injure..."

Violence, because of emotional distress, is rare and typically occurs when the student's level of frustration has been so intense or of such an enduring nature as to erode all of the student's emotional controls. This behavior is often associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs. REMAIN CALM. Get help if necessary (send a student for other staff/faculty/Dean/ Public Safety). STAY SAFE (have access to a door, keep furniture/desk between you and the student). DO NOT THREATEN, CORNER, OR TOUCH THE STUDENT. The adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," applies here.

Aggressive: "to attack, to go to, to commit the first act of hostility or offense...to assault first or to invade..."

Students usually become verbally abusive in frustrating situations they perceive as being beyond their control. Anger and upset become displaced from those situations onto the nearest target (YOU). Explosive outbursts or ongoing belligerent, hostile behavior become the student's way of gaining power and control. It is important to remember that, for the most part, the student is not angry at you personally, but at his/her world and you are the object of pent-up frustrations.

Helpful to:

  • Acknowledge their anger and frustration (e.g., "I hear how angry you are.")
  • Rephrase what they are saying and identify their emotion (e.g., "I can hear how upset you are and you think nobody will listen.")
  • Reduce stimulation; invite the person to a quiet place, if this is comfortable (remember not to let yourself be physically trapped)
  • Be directive and firm about behaviors you will accept (e.g., "I need for you to step back," "I'm having a hard time listening to you when you yell.")
  • Allow them to ventilate, get the feelings out, and tell you what is upsetting them

Not Helpful to:

  • Ignore warning signs (body language, clenched fists)
  • Get into an argument or shouting match
  • Become hostile or punitive yourself (e.g., "You can't talk to me that way.")
  • Press for explanations for their behavior
  • Make threats or dares

The Student in Poor Contact with Reality

These students have difficult distinguishing "fantasy" from reality. Their thinking is typically illogical, confused or irrational (e.g., speech patterns that jump from one topic to another with no meaningful connection); their emotional responses may be incongruent or inappropriate; and their behavior may be bizarre and disturbing.

These student may experience hallucinations, often auditory, and may report hearing voices (e.g., someone is trying to harm/control them).

WHILE THESE STUDENTS MAY ELICIT ALARM OR FEAR FROM OTHERS, THEY GENERALLY ARE NOT DANGEROUS OR VIOLENT. If you cannot make sense of the student's conversation, try to consult with or refer to Counseling Services as soon as possible.

Helpful to

  • Respond with warmth and kindness. Use firm reasoning
  • Remove extra stimulation from the environment (turn off the radio, step outside a noisy room)
  • Acknowledge your concerns and verbalize their need for help
  • Acknowledge their feelings or fears without supporting the misperceptions (e.g., "I understand you think someone is following you, and it must seem real to you, but I don't see anyone and I believe you are safe.")
  • Acknowledge your difficulty in understanding them and ask for clarification
  • Focus on the "here and now"

Not Helpful to

  • Argue or try to convince them of the irrationality of their thinking as this commonly produces a stronger defense of the false perception
  • Play along! (e.g., "Oh, yes, I hear voices, see the devil, etc. . .")
  • Encourage further discussion of the delusional processes
  • Demand, command, or order them to do something to change their perceptions
  • Expect customary social and emotional responses

The Anxious Student

Anxiety is a normal response to a perceived danger or threat to one's well-being. For some students, the cause of their anxiety will be clear; but for others it is difficult to pinpoint the reason for distress.

Regardless of the cause, one or more of the following symptoms may be experienced: rapid heart beat, chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, sweating, trembling or shaking, and cold, clammy hands.

The student may also complain of difficulty concentrating, always being "on edge," having difficulty making decisions, sleeping problems or being too fearful to take action. In rarer cases, a student may experience a panic attack in which the physical symptoms occur spontaneously and intensely in such a way that the student may fear she/he is dying.

The following guidelines are appropriate in most cases:

Helpful to

  • Let them discuss their feelings and thoughts. Often this alone relieves a great deal of pressure
  • Provide reassurance
  • Talk slowly and remain calm
  • Be clear and directive
  • Provide a safe and quiet environment until the symptoms subside

Not Helpful to

  • Minimize the perceived threat to which the student is reacting
  • Take responsibility for their emotional state
  • Overwhelm them with information or ideas to "fix" their condition
  • Become anxious or overwhelmed by the student's problems

The Student Under the Influence

Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive drug. In addition to being the preferred drug on college campuses, it is common to find students who abuse alcohol also abusing other drugs, both prescription and illicit. Fads and peer pressure affect patterns of use.

Nationally, forty-three percent of college students engage in binge drinking, defined as five drinks in a row (four for women.)

Consuming alcohol in large quantities quickly can be lethal. Other adverse effects include: hangovers, hospitalization for alcohol overdose, poor academic performance, missing classes, injury, and unprotected sexual activity.

Prevention strategies have not been very effective in reducing the amount of binge drinking due to its glamorization at society parties and local bars which promote happy hours, all-you-can-drink specials, week-night discounts, ladies' nights, and penny or nickel drinks.

The effects of alcohol on the user are well-known to most of us. Student alcohol abuse is most often identified by faculty when irresponsible, unpredictable behavior affects the learning environment (e.g., drunk and disorderly conduct in class) or when a combination of the health and social impairments associated with alcohol abuse sabotages student performance.

Because of the denial that exists in most substance abusers, it is important to express your concern about the student in terms of specific changes in behavior or performance (not your suspicions about alcohol/drugs.)

Helpful to

  • Confront the student with the behaviors that are of concern
  • Address the substance abuse issue if the student is open and willing
  • Offer support and concern for the student's overall well-being
  • Suggest that the student talk with someone about these issues and maintain contact with the student after a referral is made

Not Helpful to

  • Convey judgment or criticism about the student's substance use
  • Make allowances for the student's irresponsible behavior
  • Ignore signs of intoxication in the classroom

The Suspicious Student

Usually these students complain about something other than their psychological difficulties. They are tense, cautious, mistrustful, and have few friends.

These students tend to interpret a minor oversight as significant personal rejection and often overreact to insignificant occurrences. They see themselves as the focal point of everyone's behavior and everything that happens has special meaning.

Usually they are overly concerned with fairness and being treated equally. They project blame onto others and will express anger indirectly. Many times they will feel worthless and inadequate.

Helpful to

  • Send clear, consistent messages regarding what you are willing to do and what you expect
  • Express compassion without being overly friendly or familiar
  • Be aware of personal boundaries and space when interacting
  • Be aware of your own anxiety about how the student is acting or communicating
  • Let them know that you are concerned

Not Helpful to

  • Be overly warm or sympathetically close to the student
  • Flatter the student, laugh with them or be humorous
  • Assure the student that you are their friend or advocate
  • Assure them that you will be fair in your treatment of them

The Student Who May Have an Eating Disorder

People with an eating disorder think about food, weight, and body shape in distorted ways. This leads to ways of eating and managing weight that

  • are harmful to the mind and the body and can be deadly;

  • make it hard for the person to do the things he/she wants to do in classes, sports, and with friends and family

  • make the person feel anxious and miserable most of the time;

  • are often upsetting to others

Eating disorders are very prevalent:

  • More than 5 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder
  • This includes 5% of young women; 1% of young men  (at Whittier College, that would be about 35 women and 5 men)
  • College women ages 18-22 have a higher incidence than those younger, older, or not in college
  • 15% of young women have substantially disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (at Whittier College, about 100 women students)
  • An estimated 1000 women die each year of anorexia nervosa
  • Eating disorders is a men's issue, too; some men suffer from the disorder themselves; a recent study of college men (Journal of American College Health, May, 2002) showed that 20% “had significant worries about their weight and shape and regularly employed restrictive eating behaviors, such as limiting food intake and following specific rules about eating.”  Most men are affected in some way by the distorted body image or distorted eating behavior of a significant woman in their lives--sister, mother, girl friend.

Eating disorders can last from months to years. If left untreated, they disrupt social relationships, school, and work. They cause psychological and medical problems that can be permanent and can cause death. All eating problems are damaging to a person's self-esteem. If the problem lasts long enough, the person feels trapped and hopeless and is afraid he/she will never recover.

Some of the warning signs of an eating disorder include

  • Marked increase or decrease in weight that is not related to a medical condition.

  • Abnormal eating habits, such as secretive bingeing, absence in dining halls, eating peculiar combinations of food, etc.

  • Intense preoccupation with weight and body image; this may be evidenced by frequently weighing self and constant self-criticism of body.

  • Compulsive or excessive exercising, as evidenced by expressions of extreme guilt if the person doesn’t exercise; rigid routine unrelated to athletic training; exercising when injured, or negative effects in other areas of life (e.g. missing classes to exercise).

  • Restrictive eating or purging through vomiting, fasting, laxatives, diet pills or diuretics.

  • Emotional instability--moodiness, depression, loneliness, and/or irritability.

It is helpful to:

  • Establish rapport with the student

  • Focus on specific behaviors that concern you. Behaviors are difficult to deny.

  • Express concern for the student in a caring, supportive and non-judgmental manner.

  • Do not get into a battle over whether or not the student should label the behavior an “eating disorder.” Focus on the negative consequences of the student’s actions and appeal to a desire to reduce or eliminate these negative consequences.

  • If you have information from a third party you may want to involve that person in the process. Roommates can be particularly informative with this problem.

  • The student may deny the problem. At this point you may want to consult with the Dean of Students or counseling center staff.  If the student’s  behaviors appear to be life threatening, then definitely seek assistance.

  • Reassure the student that help is available and change is possible.

  • Try to get the student to make a commitment to contact a counseling and/or medical referral. If the student expresses reluctance, find out why and address the concerns.

  • Follow-up; show continued support; ask about the referral.

It is not helpful to:

  • Confront the student when you do not have privacy.

  • Argue with the student.

  • Give advice about weight loss, exercise, or appearance.

  • Attempt to force the student to eat.

The Student who has been Sexually Assaulted

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Research Report (December, 2000) 5% of college women nation wide experience a rape or attempted rape in a given academic year. At Whittier College, this translates to 35 women.  Men can also be the victims of rape and sexual assault. It is important to respond sensitively to students who disclose having experienced a sexual assault or an attempted assault.

The Bureau of Justice report also tells us that 95% of the assaults of college women go unreported in any formal way. One-third of women do not tell anyone of their experience, and two-thirds tell a friend or other trusted individual. Complicating the issue of reporting is the fact that most assailants are persons known to the victim; they are not strangers.

If you are the person trusted with this information, what can you do?

It is helpful to

  • Listen to the person's account
  • Prompt the person to continue the narrative by asking “and then what happened?”
  • Let the person know you care about his/her well-being
  • Appreciate any feelings disclosed as normal under the circumstances
  • Assist the person in obtaining additional support and help (see resources below)
  • Ask about the person’s physical condition, i.e., the possibility of physical injury or exposure to disease or (for women) pregnancy
  • Ask about the person’s current experience of safety; if they do not feel safe in their environment, offer assistance in increasing their sense of safety

It is not helpful to

  • Relate your own experience or story in any detail
  • Pursue specific details, except to clarify what you are hearing
  • Offer judgments about what might have been done differently
  • Make decisions for the person

Some resources to consider

  • Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (562-698-0811)
  • Campus Health Services (562-907-4200 x 4400)
  • Planned Parenthood (562-866-0556)
  • Campus Counseling Services (562-907-4239)
  • Project Sister Rape Crisis Center 24-hour hotline (909-626-HELP)
  • Campus Safety Office (562-907-4211)

The student may need and want to seek medical attention, even some time after the assault, to check for physical damage and to test for sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy.

Note that if the person who reports an offense requests a change in academic, living or work arrangements as a result of the offense, the college must make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests.

The student should be advised of the right to make a formal complaint of the assault to the police department in the city where the assault occurred; if the assailant is a member of the campus community, a complaint can be filed with the Dean of Students (if the assailant is a student;) the Dean of Faculty (if the assailant is a faculty member); or the Director of Human Resources (if the assailant is a staff member).

Details of the adjudication process are available in the student handbook and in the faculty/staff handbook.

Federal law requires all campus personnel (except counselors in the Student Counseling Center) to make an anonymous report of an incident of sexual assault to the office of Campus Safety. This report is used for statistical purposes and contains only the nature of the incident and the location and date of occurrence.