Helping College Students in Distress

A Faculty Guide

Monica Galloway Burke, Karl Laves, Jill Duba Sauerheber, Aaron W. Hughey, Monica Galloway Burke, Karl Laves, Jill Duba Sauerheber, Aaron W. Hughey

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780367404628
• eBook ISBN: 9781000169584
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This important resource draws from counseling and higher education professionals' insights to unpack real-life dilemmas of students in distress both inside and outside the classroom, while providing readers with essential tools and recommendations for assisting distressed students. The chapters in Part I examine the impact of emotional and mental health on the college campus, what college campuses are doing to address students' emotional and mental issues, the potential legal implications when dealing with students, and how faculty can and should approach this challenging topic. Each chapter in Part II includes a case narrative, along with a "Takeaways" section, which outlines and delineates the primary points faculty should consider when facing similar episodes involving distressed students. A "Questions for Reflection" section provides an opportunity for the reader to apply knowledge, reflect on their decision-making, and generate ideas individually or with peers. Helping College Students in Distress is a roadmap providing direction and examples of best practices for Higher Education faculty on the "front lines" in academia.

Part I

The Framework and Roadmap

Chapter One

Faculty Helping Students in Distress

Monica Galloway Burke, Karl Laves, Jill Duba Sauerheber, and Aaron W. Hughey

Amber has spent most of her life taking care of others and overcoming obstacles. Although she has moved 60 miles from home for college, her parents still expect her to contribute to the household income as she did in high school and care for her younger siblings when they need her to help. Amber has intermittently been taking medication since high school to help with her bouts of depression or her anxiety, or both simultaneously. Her first semester of college was very difficult, not because of the academic performance and expectations, but because she found it difficult to balance helping her family with her academics. One day, Amber walks into the department’s office suite where several faculty members are congregated and when one asks her about her day thus far, she responds with a somber tone and solemn expression, “at least I have not thrown myself in front of a bus today; so, there’s that.”

If you were in the group with the faculty who had just heard Amber’s response, what would you think? What would you say? What would you do? Would you perceive that her response indicated intent or distress? Was it just a flippant remark? Uncertainty in this type of situation is a natural reaction.

As you are probably aware, faculty can often encounter very distressed students who do not have “simple” problems like test anxiety or homesickness and the encounter can even occur unexpectedly. However, when they do happen, these encounters typically require quite a degree of focus, intentionality, and priority. Since these events typically come as a surprise, faculty are expected to respond promptly and often without preparation. Therefore, conversations about helping distressed students and the preparation to work with distressed students need to come before the event.

As a faculty member, have you ever had to experience the following?

• A student is belligerent or angry toward you in your office or in the classroom.
• A student discussion becomes a heated argument with threats.
• A student reveals to you that they are having thoughts of suicide.
• A student reveals to you that they have been sexually assaulted, are being stalked, or being harassed.
• A student tells you they have experienced racist and/or sexist remarks from others on campus.
• A student is experiencing discrimination because of their gender/sexual identity and expression.
• A student tells you they are depressed and have difficulty getting out of bed each day.
• A student exhibits a great deal of neediness and dependency or there is a lack of boundaries.
• A student requests an excessive number of meetings, shows up often, and you have difficulty ending meetings with them.

Such interactions can leave any of us troubled and wondering how to respond. For people who are not trained to be helping professionals, the thought of figuring out what to do can be even more challenging. What would you say, if anything? With whom should you consult? What approach should be taken? Should you respond at all?

Faculty are trained to disseminate content knowledge and once in their faculty role they soon must develop a teaching style and methods, evaluate student performance based on learning outcomes, manage the classroom environment, stay informed in order to respond to student queries, and advise them appropriately. However, in addition to these responsibilities, faculty can find themselves dealing with issues for which they may feel unprepared, including responding to a student’s emotional need, resolving interpersonal conflicts, facilitating mediations, and consulting with others to meet students’ needs.

For example, in 2012, a 24-year-old student at Florida Atlantic University, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder since the age of 13 and subsequently diagnosed with schizophrenia, had an outburst in a classroom while the instructor was teaching. The incident, which was videotaped by several students in the class, included her screaming and cursing, threatening her peers and the professor, as well as striking a male classmate in the head. As her behavior began to escalate, the professor continued to stand in front of the classroom, attempting to teach and respond to a question she asked. A couple of minutes passed, and another faculty member entered the classroom to intervene. He began yelling at and arguing with the student and insisted that she leave the classroom. The visiting faculty member and the student eventually ended up in a brief scuffle. The FAU police soon arrived and took the student to South County Mental Health Center, reportedly tasering her three times in the process. The student was Baker Acted (involuntary admission due to mental breakdown) for the third time in her life. The student’s mother and sister reported that this incident was not the first time she had an outburst due to her mental illness. The family also reported that she is usually very shy and reserved; however, around the time of this incident she had just started taking a new medication. The family thinks the professor should have realized that something was wrong and should have reacted differently. The professor indicated that he realized there was a mental health issue, which is why he did not confront her, and his Teaching Assistant had left the classroom to call the police (see Chapnick, 2012).

Based on the above description of the incident, we can gather a few facts. First, the faculty member had to deal with an unexpected student in distress, which of course impacted the rest of the class. Second, many of the students remained in the classroom during the incident, which was not necessarily in the best interest of their safety. Third, another instructor entered the classroom and intervened without being fully aware of the circumstances instead of waiting for law enforcement. There are remaining pieces of information that were not apparent but could have likely prevented the incident from developing into what it did. Was the instructor of the course informed and trained in dealing with such difficult and disruptive situations in the classroom? During the incident, were the engaging faculty members considering what the consequences of their actions or inaction would be, as well as how the crisis was impacting their ability to provide a productive and safe learning environment?

In observing such incidents, note that it is not the psychological issue or diagnosis itself that is significant, but how such issues may influence the student and their micro (classroom) and macro (i.e., academic, residential, and social) community. If the student’s behavior or performance is not a problem, the diagnosis or mental health history is not necessarily relevant. However, if a student’s mental health appears to be influencing their behavior or performance and puts the student, their peers, and the instructor in a precarious position, then the faculty should address it. Of course, there is not a fool-proof, cookie-cutter approach to working with students in distress; however, there are considerations and basic helping skills that can be used in the process.

Since faculty interact with students often, they may be the first person a student seeks out for help when distressed and are in a position to notice if a student is exhibiting concerning behavior. Since a safe learning environment is a necessity for a successful academic environment, all involved must feel safe and supported. Faculty can also serve an influential role because not only can they provide reassurance, they can also be a link to resources for a student in mental or emotional distress. Without appropriate resources and skillsets, faculty in a position to help a student in distress may often employ a reactive approach. Reactive approaches are important because an actual response occurs; but waiting for students to be fully engaged in their distress and exhibit alarming behavior before showing concern or offering support may not be the most effective way to address their mental well-being. Should faculty prepare for discussions with students about the amount of stress and feelings they may be experiencing and reactions as they struggle in that moment? As such, faculty should be proactive in preparing and taking positive steps in advance toward anticipating the unexpected rather than waiting for something to occur and then reacting when students come to them in distress. As the saying goes, expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.

This book introduces narratives composed by college faculty sharing real-life situations with students in distress inside and outside of the college classroom and how they responded. First, we begin by discussing the impact of emotional and mental health, distress, and related issues on the college campus. Next, we explain what college campuses are doing to address students’ emotional and mental issues and the potential legal implications when dealing with students who are experiencing emotional distress. Essential tools to effectively assist college students include understanding the warning signs for mental health problems of college students; distinguishing what signs indicate emotional distress; and knowing whom to contact if signs are there and if there are questions or concerns about a student’s behavior. As such, we then discuss the role of faculty and expectations when helping students in distress and how faculty can use basic helping skills in facilitating the process. Finally, the book provides actual situations told from the viewpoint of faculty in which they have been confronted with students who are experiencing emotional and mental distress. Each narrative is followed with information, considerations, and questions for reflection related to engaging with students in a psychologically present manner and how faculty can choose behaviors to get the student to the appropriate service provider if necessary.

The Impact of Mental Health

Mental health is a core component essential for all humans’ overall health and functioning. When our mental health is in a good state, we manage our basic cognitive and social skills; recognize, express, and modulate our emotions; are flexible and able to cope with adverse life events; function in social roles; and modulate a harmonious relationship between our body and mind (Galderisi, Heinz, Kastrup, Beezhold, & Sartorius, 2015). However, when we experience diminished capacities—cognitive, emotional, attentional, interpersonal, motivational, or behavioral—our enjoyment of life or interactions with society and the environment can be adversely affected (Stephens, Dulberg, & Joubert, 1999). A basic assumption is that people pursue pleasant emotions and avoid unpleasant ones. Of course, no one feels their best when experiencing unhappiness, relationship problems, and a lack of motivation or focus as we live our life roles and interact with our environments.

At its most basic level, college is an environment filled with interactions, introspection, discovery, choices, conflicts, and judgment. For college students, college life is also filled with new opportunities to grow and learn. As we grow and learn in life, anxiety, fear, worry, disappointment, sadness, and anger are as much a part of it as joy, passion, curiosity, delight, and contentment, which often involve unpleasant as well as pleasant emotions. Experiencing unpleasant situations can impact a variety of aspects of a college student’s life such as academics, interpersonal relationships, physical well-being, emotional health, work life, and family dynamics. In these contexts, it is not uncommon for a student to experience distress or mental health issues.

Mental Health Issues on the College Campus

The number of college students who seek counseling for mental and emotional concerns has increased in recent years. An American Freshman Survey (Eagan et al., 2014) concluded that the emotional health of incoming freshmen is at its lowest point in at least three decades. Additionally, in the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) annual survey of counseling center directors, a majority of the directors reported that the severity of student mental health concerns and related behavior on their campuses have risen (Reetz, Bershad, LeViness, & Whitlock, 2016). Common mental health issues reported by American college students include depression, stress, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in addition to concerns about feeling lonely and overwhelmed, relationships, family, and interpersonal functioning (Brandy, Penckofer, Solari-Twadell, & Velsor-Friedrich, 2015; LeViness, Bershad, & Gorman, 2017).

To establish clarity and common understanding with the subsequent content related to mental and emotional health, definitions of terms and concepts associated with this chapter follow.

Anxiety is defined as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worry, and physical changes (Kazdin, 2000). It has also been defined as a vague, uncomfortable feeling exacerbated by prolonged stress and the presence of multiple stressors (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). In a typical reaction to stressful situations, anxiety can affect a person behaviorally (e.g., indecisive about answers, find it difficult to organize thoughts, difficulty with recall/going blank), cognitively (e.g., nervousness and low confidence), and physiologically (e.g., panic, perspiration...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Part I: The Framework and Roadmap
• Part II: Sharing Their Stories: Faculty Helping Students in Distress
• About the Editors
• About the Contributors
• Index