When Students Share Personal Stress

Principle 1: Prevent

Prevention includes mitigating potential stressors that may trigger trauma,  reflecting on your own views of trauma, identifying your role within the campus community, and implementing strategies to avoid harming students. 

What can you reflect on to prevent a trauma response?

• How can I create a sense of safety when I talk with students?
• How can I develop trust with students?
• What implicit biases might impact my engagement with students?

Principle 2: Normalize

Often times people experiencing depression, anxiety or thoughts of suicide feel very alone. Sharing that you and/or many other students have experienced similar situations can provide hope and reassurance that these challenges are very common. As you normalize what a student is going through, avoid too much self-disclosure and maintain focus on the student’s situation.

What does this sound like?

• “I see this is stressful for you. Many students are experiencing that right now— feeling overwhelmed is understandable”.
• “I have supported many students experiencing similar challenges as you, and, with the right resources, many of them have been successful”.
• “Difficult situations like what you’re facing often happen during the college years. I know that hearing this doesn’t make it easier to go through, but know that you’re not alone.”

Principle 3: Notice

Noticing includes observing and recognizing changes in behavior, coursework, communication, or any other ways a student shows up in your course. It can be incredibly powerful to send an email to a student to check in on their wellbeing and share that you have noticed a change in them.

What does this look like?

• Don’t: Share opinions, make assumptions, or judge their situation
• Do: Be specific about the behavior that concerns you, share statements or actions you are worried about, communicate that you care

Principle 4: Ask

Engaging in conversation with a student about something you have noticed in an effort to better understand the student’s situation is a powerful way to support their wellbeing.

• If you’re able to have this conversation in person or remotely, be present and engaged as the student is talking. Maintain eye contact, face the student, provide verbal cues that you are listening and ask open-ended questions.
• If you need to have this conversation over email, without judgement, state the change in behavior or engagement you’ve noticed. Then, ask open-ended questions.

What does this sound like?

• “I’ve noticed you’ve been quiet lately. How have you been doing?
• “It seems to be really hard for you to be present in class. How can I support you right now?”

Principle 5: Refer

Providing a student with contact information or a direct connection to a resource most appropriate to help them navigate barriers to their success is essential.

• Often, students are unaware of the resources available to them. It’s important to learn about the key university resources that can support a student in distress. 
• Sharing resources not only promotes students’ access to appropriate support, it can also help reinforce the role you play as a Boise State mentor, teacher or leader.

Feel good about referring, but want to feel more confident?

See our How To Refer page

Email Templates for In-person and Online Students

Review our Helpful and Supportive Communication email templates in considering how to reply to both in-person and fully online students via email after they’ve shared personal stress with you.