Signs of Student Distress

Signs and symptoms of student distress

• Excessive procrastination and poorly prepared work, especially if inconsistent with previous work
• Infrequent class attendance with little or no work completed
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Unusual dependency: hanging around or making excessive demands for contact outside of normal periods of association
• Listlessness, frequently falling asleep in class or general lack of energy
• Repeated requests for special consideration
• Marked changes in personal hygiene
• High levels of irritability, including unruly, aggressive, violent or abrasive behaviors
• Inability to make decisions despite your repeated efforts to clarify or encourage
• Excessive weight gain or loss
• Normal emotions that are displayed to an extreme degree or for a prolonged period of time: for example, tearfulness or nervousness
• Impaired or garbled speech and disjointed thinking
• Threats to others
• Reference to suicide as a current option
• Bizarre behavior that is obviously inappropriate, such as talking to “invisible people”
• Social withdrawal