Your Observations
- Social isolation, withdrawal, lethargy
- Inability to focus on a specific topic in a conversation or activity
- Disorganized thinking and speech, feelings that are inappropriate to the situation, lack of affect, or other evidence that student is “out of touch with reality”
- Expression of feelings of persecution, strong mistrust of others
- Violent outbursts
- Signs of excessive alcohol or drug use
- Expressions of general unhappiness over a period of several weeks
- Frequent class absence or “disappearance” over extended periods
- Gain or loss of significant amounts of weight
- Abrupt change in manner, style, or personal hygiene
- Increasing dependence on you (by making excessive appointments, hanging around your office or after class) or others
Student’s Symptoms
- Marked anxiety, extreme restlessness, inability to concentrate or relax
- Marked decrease or increase in appetite
- Marked decrease or increase in sleep
- Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable or meaningful activities, such as classes, social life, intimate relationships
- Expression of irrational fears
- Physical complaints without a medical cause, such as headache, stomach pains, etc.
- Unusual ritualistic or repetitive behavior
- Chronic fatigue
- Suicidal thoughts, plans, threats
- Overwhelming financial obligations
Student’s Background
- History of emotional disturbances (e.g., depression, alcohol, drug abuse, eating disorder, anxiety, suicide attempts)
- Traumatic family event(s) such as recent separation or divorce of parents, serious illness or death of family member, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse at home
- Recent loss of an important person (either by death or by separation/break-up)
- Recent loss of esteem
- Previous period of poor functioning
