How to Help Depressed Students As a Teacher

Identifying the Problem

Know the general signs of depression. Depression can impact different people in different ways. It's more common in teen and adult years, but can happen at any age. Environmental and genetic factors can play a role. The general signs of depression include: Fatigue Sensitivity, sadness, and/or irritability Emotional numbness, or lack of emotion Difficulty focusing Disorganization Low self-esteem Changes in eating or sleeping habits Suicidal thoughts

Watch how depression impacts them at school. At school, a student with depression may become withdrawn and pessimistic. Their grades may suffer because they struggle to focus, and to do their assignments. Here are some different possible signs that you may see: Missing class often Complaining of headaches, stomachaches, or other stress-related aches and pains Forgetting their homework Struggling to focus in class Seeming fatigued, or even sleeping in class Working slowly Giving up easily Crying, getting angry, or getting upset easily Withdrawing, not raising their hand or making friends Putting themselves down Making pessimistic or suicidal comments, like "life is just going to get harder" or "I wish I could go to sleep and never wake up" Risky or defiant behavior: arguing, fighting, skipping class, stealing, etc.

Try checking in on the student. Privately talk to them about what's going on. Try asking them to stay after class (and adding right away that they're not in trouble). Then, gently ask what's wrong. "I've noticed that you've been struggling more with your assignments. What's going on?" "At the beginning of the year, you raised your hand a lot. Now you rarely do. Why is that?"

Supporting Classroom Success

Find ways to manage the student's fatigue. Low energy levels can make school very difficult for students with depression. Here are some ideas you could try: Be extra forgiving about absences. Try giving lecture recordings, notes, or other materials to the student to help them catch up. Check in right away if the student doesn't turn in their work. Gently ask what happened, and what could help the student complete things. Give the student shorter assignments. Break larger assignments into small pieces with individual deadlines. Let the student work one-on-one with you if needed.

Try having the student spend time with you after class, or during office hours. Students with depression can struggle a lot with time management, and may have a hard time just sitting down to do the task. Sometimes, having you there to help them get started may be enough for them to get some actual work done. "Parallel work" is an option, too: you go through your emails while the student works on a worksheet, and can occasionally ask questions if needed.

Cultivate a growth-based mindset in class. A growth-based approach can help students build resilience, and not worry too much if they don't get things perfect right away. It can also help the student succeed. Here are some examples of positive things you can say, to the class in general or one-on-one: "This material is tricky, and it's okay if you don't get it yet. We have plenty of time to practice." "It's okay to make mistakes as you work on this. I make mistakes sometimes too." "It's okay if you don't get a perfect score. Just keep doing your best." "Oh, did I mess this up? That's okay. I can fix it." "Hard work matters much more than intelligence." EXPERT TIP Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Joseph Meyer is a High School Math Teacher based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an educator at City Charter High School, where he has been teaching for over 7 years. Joseph is also the founder of Sandbox Math, an online learning community dedicated to helping students succeed in Algebra. His site is set apart by its focus on fostering genuine comprehension through step-by-step understanding (instead of just getting the correct final answer), enabling learners to identify and overcome misunderstandings and confidently take on any test they face. He received his MA in Physics from Case Western Reserve University and his BA in Physics from Baldwin Wallace University. Joseph Meyer Joseph Meyer Math Teacher Assess students early to identify important knowledge gaps. Struggling students often have unidentified gaps in foundational concepts, leading to poor performance when learning advanced topics. Circumvent this problem by assessing their skills early on, and then filling in knowledge gaps as needed.

Supporting Depression Recovery

Take the opportunity to develop a relationship. A kind, caring teacher can make a difference. Spending time with the student, and listening to them, can help them see you as an ally. If you don't "click" with the student very well, try encouraging them to find someone else to talk to. You can recommend a teacher, counselor, sports coach, or other person you know who is a good listen to.

Listen and validate their feelings. You can help the student by making them feel cared about and understood. Sometimes, just being heard is enough to help someone feel a little better. Here are some examples of validating things you could say to the student: "You're allowed to be sad about that." "That must be difficult to handle." "Of course you're upset. That's a very stressful situation to deal with." "It's okay to cry." "It's understandable to be angry about that." "It's okay to feel that way."

Encourage social interaction. Positive social interaction can help people fight depression. Unfortunately, depression often involves isolation, which can just make things worse. Try to gently suggest an opportunity that you think the student might find interesting. For group work, assign groups (or help the student choose a group) so that the student is teamed up with kind and cooperative people. This increases the chance of positive social interactions. Try gently suggesting a club for the student to join. For example, if you notice the student doodling sometimes, give them a flyer for an art club.

Give reality checks as needed. People with depression can have a distorted sense of reality, believing things like "Nobody likes me" or "I'm stupid." Try giving a gentle correction if you notice them talking this way. It may help a little. "I disagree with you being a bad student. Bad students are the ones who quit. But you are working hard to deal with this, so that makes you a good student in my book." "That's a generalization. Emma and Jacob seem to like spending time with you, I know your older sister speaks positively about you, and I like you too." "A B does not make you stupid. Even geniuses can get Bs sometimes. That's normal, and part of life."

Praise them for their successes, and their good traits. Students with depression can be really hard on themselves. They may also lose their sense of identity, so subtly describing them in positive words can help rebuild it. A little praise may mean a lot,> even if the student is too depressed to visibly react. They'll remember what you said. Find something you genuinely appreciate in the student, and point it out to them. "I noticed you turned your paper in early! I'm really impressed. You're kicking butt at time management." "I noticed you raised your hand in class today. That was really cool." "I saw what you doodled on your homework. That was a really gorgeous drawing. I love how detailed the eyes were. I hope you pursue that." "I noticed you helping Tyler in the hall. You're a really kind person." "You know, this semester has been really hard for you, but you've refused to give up. I really admire that. You're a tough cookie."

Consider talking about coping skills with the student. The student may not know how to handle some of the awful emotions that can come with depression. Try sitting down with the student and helping them make a list of ideas they can try when they're having a hard time. Here are some examples: Journaling Exercising Spending time with loved ones and/or pets (perhaps making a list of people to try reaching out to) Practicing a hobby Doing something distracting, like an intellectually stimulating puzzle or exercise (e.g. naming all the capital cities they can or reciting times tables) Doing a self-harm alternative, like holding an ice cube or drawing on their skin with a marker

Try making a no-suicide pact. Have the student promise to tell someone (you, or someone else) if they are feeling suicidal. You can help the student draw up a list of people they trust. Try reminding them that it's always better to try the least drastic option first. For example, taking a semester off from school is less drastic than dying.

Remember that you can't cure or save them. You can do your best to help the student. But you can't erase their depression, or protect them from all the evils of the world. That isn't humanly possible. If something bad does happen to the student, try not to blame yourself. You did the best you could to help at the time, and that's all anyone can do.

Getting Help

Meet with your school's counselor. Counselors are some of the people at schools that students go to when they're having trouble with personal issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts. Tell the counselor that you're concerned that a student is depressed, then mention the signs. Rest assured that everything at the meeting will be kept confidential; neither you nor the counselor should be going around talking about your student's problem. Get the student in on a meeting. Be patient if they're slow to open up; it can be hard for some people to talk about what they're going through. It's imperative that you see a counselor if the student has suicidal thoughts. Keep this confidential, but have a meeting anyway even if the student asks you not to tell anyone. Suicidal thoughts should never be kept a secret.

Refer a college student to the appropriate services. If the student seems to lack energy, try giving them a map with the place circled, or even walking them over yourself. The disability center can help them get accommodations, like a quiet place to take exams, and extra time on tests. Student health services can help them get depression treatment. If the student seems reluctant, try reminding them that the brain can get sick just like any other body part, and that there's nothing wrong with getting treatment or taking pills to correct chemical imbalances. Counseling services can help the student talk over what they're going through, and develop coping strategies for their situation. A tutoring center can offer one-on-one support with assignments. Tutors can guide the student through their assignments, helping them learn the material and stay focused.

Consider contacting the student's parents. The parents may not realize that something is wrong, or that the problem is more than just a little moodiness. If the student is under 18 and you've had positive interactions before, it's probably fine to go ahead and call or email. If the student is over 18, or if the student seems afraid of their parents, you may want to get the student's permission first. Here's an example: "I've noticed that your child seems very tired, and is struggling to stay on top of their schoolwork. I think that talking to a doctor may help. These signs seem similar to what I've seen before in students with depression. Getting help sooner, rather than later, may help keep this from getting worse." If the parents seem hypercritical or abusive, try phrasing it in terms of making it easier for the parents. For example: "I think a doctor may be able to help with your child's behavior problems. Getting treatment could even lead to some more positive behavior at home, too."

Stay in touch with your student's family. The parents can tell you how things are going at home; you should talk about how things are going at school. Have the student share their personal issues and experience and whether anything at all is improving (in both places). Talk about their academic performance and classroom behavior, and together decide what to do to solve problems at school and at home.