To: All Faculty <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Patricia Askew and Jesse Delia" <paskew@uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: vcsa@uiuc.edu

 Subject: MASSMAIL - Reaching out to distressed students

TO:	Faculty

FROM:	Jesse Delia,Acting Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
	Patricia Askew,Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs


We are writing to enlist your help in dealing with students who may be 
struggling emotionally, psychologically, or academically. Because you are 
the "front line" personnel of the University, your connections to the 
students you teach and mentor are critical components of the support the 
University works hard to provide students. 

Across the nation, in the past few years, there has been a noticeable 
increase in the number of students coming to campus already diagnosed with 
mental illnesses, on psychotropic medication, or with a substance abuse 
problem. Additionally, campus administrators nationwide have remarked that 
students, overall, seem to struggle with higher levels of anxiety, 
depression, and emotional distress than in previous years.  In general, 
today?s students seem less resilient and more prone to psychological 
distress than students of previous decades. This changing psychological 
profile among college students may account for the upsurge in demand for 
counseling services that we are seeing here on our campus, as well as the 
increase in suicide attempts over the past two or three years. 

Some of the behavioral signs of psychological crisis or acute distress are 
as follows:

Sad, anxious, or empty mood.
Expressions of hopelessness or extreme pessimism.
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness.
Lost interest or pleasure in hobbies and social activities.
Fatigued or slowed down behavior.
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Problems sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.
Appetite or weight changes.
Agitation or irritability.
Social withdrawal.
Diminished hygiene (stops washing hair, bathing, changing clothes).

Other signs that instructors might be especially cognizant of include:

Diminished class attendance.
Significant decline in academic performance.
Failure to keep appointments with faculty or teaching assistants.
Failure (especially among graduate students) to make satisfactory progress 
in their program of study or to be in contact with their graduate advisor.
Difficulty completing or submitting assignments in a timely manner.
Speech that seems disorganized or confusing.

While these behavioral markers do not always parallel a psychological 
problem, they may be indicative of someone who is not managing his or her 
life very effectively. So these types of behaviors merit "checking out" 
with the student. This inquiry might be accomplished by having a 
conversation with the student to see if he or she is feeling in crisis or 
overwhelmed by life demands.

Therefore, we are asking for your help. We know from national statistics 
that early referral to counseling services for students who are struggling 
psychologically is the best way to treat their problems effectively, and 
we know from studies that effective treatment positively correlates to 
academic persistence and retention. Our counseling services include a 
suicide prevention program that is nationally recognized. If you observe 
or believe that one of your students is struggling with psychological 
problems, is in crisis, or is floundering academically, please refer them 
to one of the following resources for help: 

COUNSELING CENTER
206 Turner Student Services Building
www.counselingcenter.uiuc.edu/
333-3704

SUICIDE PREVENTION TEAM
Paul Joffe
p-joffe@uiuc.edu
333-3704

MCKINLEY MENTAL HEALTH
313 McKinley Health Center
www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/
333-2705

EMERGENCY DEAN
Office of the Dean of Students
300 Turner Student Services Building (24 hours daily)
333-0050
www.odos.uiuc.edu/

CRISIS LINE (a service of Provena Behavioral Health)
359-4141
24 Hour Emergency Mental Health Assistance

If you need assistance or support in approaching a student you believe may 
be struggling, you can refer to the following website for tips on how to 
effectively refer a student www.counselingcenter.uiuc.edu or you can call 
the Counseling Center or McKinley Mental Health and consult with a mental 
health professional. If you believe a student may be at risk for suicide, 
please consult with a mental health professional. Thank you for your 
willingness to be a vital part of the University?s support network for our 
students.  
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

-- 
This message sent via MASSMAIL.  < http://www.cites.illinois.edu/services/massmail/ >