Mental health is a major issue in colleges and one of the first people to notice it is the college a student is studying. While most students are very open when it comes to talking about mental health issues, some are very reserved and shy.
There are several ways that tutors can help families and students deal with mental health. Before going into detail on how mental health can be prevented, it is important to highlight what educators need to know.
Things educators should be aware of
As pointed out above, tutors or educators are the first to notice mental health issues in students. Below are some of the things they should be aware of
- The red flags of mental illness. When a student is suffering from mental health issues, there are a few signs and symptoms tutors need to keep an eye out for. Some of the most common signs and symptoms include hallucinations, depression, social withdrawal, confusion, anxiety, delusion, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse.
- Who to speak to. When a tutor notices the signs and symptoms pointed up above, they need to speak to the college psychologist, nurse or principal.
- How to get the proper help needed. Tutors need to know how to get hold of mental health services to get a student the help they need. Early intervention is better because it can make a massive difference between a student falling further in meltdown and recovering. Stress from assignments can also bring about mental health problems and any student feeling the heat should consider hiring a research paper writer with professional and advanced skills who could create a custom-written project online.
Are they any behaviors tutors should keep an eye out for when it comes to mental health problems?
The first things a tutor needs to do is get in touch with a nurse, the student’s parents, college counselor or administrator as soon as they see the behaviors below
- Students feeling sad and withdrawn for an extended period. If a tutor notices that a student is keeping to themselves for more than 2 weeks, chances are, that student is going through mental health problems.
- Students showing signs of harming themselves. If a student is making plans or trying to cause harm to themselves, that is a classic sign of mental health problems.
- Showing signs of panic, hyperventilating or fear for no reason. Students with mental health problems who’ll often show fear for no real reason, hyperventilate or have panic attacks.
- Violent behavior. Fighting is something that many colleges do not tolerate and if a student is getting into fights all the time or has a desire to cause harm to others, it means they might be suffering from mental health problems.
- Weight loss. If a tutor notices that they have a student who is throwing up food, not eating properly and is losing weight at an alarming rate, they need to step in. This is a clear sign of a student that is crying out for help because they are suffering mentally.
- Fear stops them from carrying on with their lives. A student with mental health issues will constantly worry and be fearful most of this table. This prevents them from living a normal college life.
- Having trouble concentrating during lessons. A student with mental health problems will not find it difficult to be still in class. This affects their concentration levels and might put them in harm’s way or cause issues in the class. Spotting this early on is very important for tutors and the sooner they get the student the help they need, the better.
- Constant alcohol and drug use. When many students are feeling depressed, they turn to alcohol and drugs. Repeated use of these is a massive red flag and is one of the signs of a student going through mental health issues.
- Mood swings. If a student who is known to be very reserved starts to show severe mood swings, tutors need to find out what the root cause is. If they let these mood swings carry on, it can affect how a student interacts with their peers.
- Personality and behavior change. If a student shows a massive change in their personality and behavior, it is a sign of mental health issues.
What can tutors do to prevent mental health problems in classrooms
Tutors need to make sure that they support all students going through mental health problems and not just a few. Some of the actions that they can take include
- Educating others about mental health. Tutors need to make sure that they educate their colleagues, students, and parents about mental health. This means speaking openly about some of the signs and symptoms of mental health and where to get the appropriate help.
- Promote social activities. Tutors need to be at the forefront when it comes to fighting mental health. They can do so by promoting social activities at their respective colleges. This helps everyone bond and build resilience against mental health.
- Promoting a safe and positive environment. It is just like the point above, tutors need to make sure that a college or university is a positive place for students to learn and develop. If there is a bad environment at a college or university, it can cause stress among the pupils.
- Encourage positive behavior. It is the small things that make the biggest difference in the fight against mental health. By simply reinforcing and teaching positive behavior, it can help students have a stress free college or university life.
- Make sure that a college or university has mental health support. Tutors have to make sure that they look after the emotional well-being of their students on and off-campus. Programs can be set to recognize those at risk early on so that they can get the help they need.