Mental Health Crises

A crisis is a situation in which an individual's usual style of coping is no longer effective, and the emotional or physiological response begins to escalate. As emotions intensify, coping becomes less effective, until the person becomes disoriented, nonfunctional, or attempts to harm themselves or others. If a student is in a serious mental health crisis, you might see or hear the following signs:

• Suicidal statements or suicide attempts
• Written or verbal violence or acting out violently
• Destruction of property or other criminal acts
• Extreme anxiety resulting in panic reactions
• Inability to communicate (e.g., garbled or slurred speech, disjointed thoughts)
• Loss of contact with reality (e.g., seeing or hearing things that aren't there, expressing beliefs or actions at odds with reality)
• Highly disruptive behavior (e.g., hostility, aggression, violence)

How to Respond in a Serious Crisis

If you believe there may be imminent danger of harm to a student or the community, as evidenced by these crisis symptoms, get help immediately.