...continued from Emotional Well-Being of Your Students
They may be reluctant to initiate a conversation with an advisor about problems they are having with their work or in their personal lives. Students often worry that faculty will be disappointed in them if they share their problems with work and are reluctant to draw attention to what they perceive as their personal failings. Advisors who sensitively explore what is going on can put the student at ease and allow him or her to talk candidly. Students who are going through a rough patch but have support and are getting help may only need the faculty member’s help to negotiate reasonable expectations for them that accommodate their situation temporarily. Reducing the number of hours a student is expected to spend in the lab, time off, temporarily shifting lab responsibilities to other students, extending deadlines for projects; all of these steps can help the student not feel overwhelmed and start to function again. It helps students to know they can speak with their advisor and work out their problems - they are not alone.
Encourage seeking help
If a student is struggling but has not sought help from you, one thing to do is “normalize her or his seeking help.” If an experiment in lab were not going well they would talk with you or someone to identify the problem and possible solutions. The same should be the case with personal challenges such as depression, etc. The student should be encouraged to consult/talk with someone at the Caltech Counseling Center to address the issue at hand.Consult the Counseling Center
If you notice changes in a student but are not sure on how to handle the situation, please call us at the Counseling Center x8331 (626-395-8331) to discuss the problem or set of problems with us. Even if you have talked with the student and believe he or she is on the right track, it does not hurt to see if there is anything more that should be done. Many faculty members already call the center on a regular basis to consult us regarding students. Always feel free to ask for me, Kevin Austin.Follow–up
It is important to follow up on any conversation that you may have with students about whom you have concerns: How are they doing now? Are you getting support/help? Is there anything more that I can do to help him or her such as lightening his or her load, etc.? Several conversations over time can help provide support to a student as his or her issues get worked through.Barriers to helping
Some faculty advisors are reluctant to intrude into the personal lives of their students. Personal problems are viewed as just that - personal. If a student’s emotional problems interfere with her or his work as a student you have a reason to talk with the student. You can start by talking about the changes you have noticed in her or his work. It is reasonable to segue into a discussion of what is going on for the student that is interfering in work and what can be done to help.We often rely on the simplest explanations for people's behavior- they’re stressed, they have too much on their plate, they’re just having a rough time, etc. These explanations often result in giving the other person a lot of room to take care of things on his or her own. Obviously most people do not consider taking their own lives but when you notice signs of change in a student’s behavior, you should consider the possibility that more is going on than you know. Speaking with students to better know what she or he is struggling with and what can be done to help is a humane and reasonable thing to do.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is a guide for faculty and staff on helping students in distress on the Counseling Center’s web site which may prove to be useful to you and your research group. The information presented in that guide addresses how to handle emergency situations and the various emotional concerns that can impact a student’s performance such as: depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety. These resources are in PDF format and can be readily downloaded.