Distressed and Distressing Students—Some Markers and Guidelines
Counseling & Psychological Services
Dr. Thom Stanger
The gist is noticeable, significant changes—e.g. the student who has a different colored hair each day and
no jeans sans holes is little reason for concern when they show up in class with purple hair and torn blue
jeans. Three main factors to weigh:
1) Extremity—frequency, duration, and multiplicity of distress markers
2) Degree of divergence from personal norms—how out of character?
3) Level of disruptiveness—for self and others
 Notable change in academic performance, such as deteriorating class work, excessive procrastination,
decrease in class attendance, disruptive behavior; papers with themes of distress, hopelessness, death,
violence, etc.
 Overly dependent—the student hangs around or makes excessive appointments to see you
 Repeated requests for special consideration (e.g., deadline extensions)
 Physical changes—especially sudden weight loss or gain, deteriorating personal hygiene, extreme
fatigue lasting beyond a day or two
 Withdrawal and isolation from others (relative to personal norms)
 Inability to concentrate or make decisions despite repeated attempts to clarify or encourage
 Bizarre or strange behavior which is obviously out of place, e.g. talking to someone/thing that is not
present (for those who like psychologese, that would be psychotic—aka, hallucinating or delusional)
 Impaired speech and disjointed thoughts
 Frequent or high levels of irritable, argumentative, abrasive or aggressive behavior
 Overreaction to criticism or mistakes, agitation
 Overly emotional:
o Euphoria; unusually fast, non-stop, tangential speech; grandiose; extreme impulsivity
o Or the opposite—sad, despondent, tearful; lethargic, non-responsive
 Threats or acts of violence to self or others; increase in risk-taking behavior
What to Do—Recommended Actions & Guidelines…
 Consult! If in doubt, call the Counseling Center for guidance/perspective. Note: you can tell a
counselor virtually anything, per FERPA health and safety concerns clause, but understand that a
counselor cannot divulge information about a client (for many good reasons, besides counseling ethics
and TX law), or whether a person has even come in. We will also keep your communication
confidential, unless we ask you otherwise (only if there were a good clinical reason).
 Check it out: talk to the student in a private, comfortable place, like your office
 If you believe a student may be suicidal, ask about this directly (it will not plant the idea—believe me
on this one, rather some relief in being able to verbalize vs. ruminate alone).
 Express concern in a non-judgmental and accepting manner. Be as specific as possible in stating your
observations and reasons for concern. Non-judgmental is KEY.
 Listen actively and carefully; then communicate the gist of what the student has told you to verify your
understanding and effort to understand (aka paraphrasing).
 Convey to the student that professional, confidential assistance is available to all students free of
charge, and consulting with a counselor is a positive, strong step, not a sign of weakness.
 Be mindful of your boundaries/limits; some distressed students may push past what you are able or
willing to do. An especially good time to consult.
*** You don’t need to remember all of this information—just know it is available (it’s on our website, or I can
e-mail a copy to you;)you are always welcome to consult with an experienced counselor: - 2365.