Helping Students in Distress

College students face a wide range of stressors that can contribute to emotional distress, crisis situations, and the emergence or exacerbation of mental health concerns. This chapter examines how stress, vulnerability, coping resources, and social support interact to influence student well-being, with particular attention to the progression from everyday stress to distress and crisis. Common mental health concerns on college campuses are reviewed, including anxiety, depression, suicide risk, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and executive functioning challenges, obsessive-compulsive disorder, adjustment disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. The chapter emphasizes the role of student affairs professionals in recognizing warning signs, responding calmly and ethically to students in distress, and facilitating timely and effective referrals to appropriate support services. Practical guidance is provided for de-escalation, suicide intervention, overdose response, and referral-making, highlighting the importance of collaboration with counseling centers and campus support systems. In addition, the chapter underscores the importance of cultural competence and cultural responsiveness, acknowledging how identity, campus climate, and systemic factors shape students’ experiences of distress and help-seeking. Overall, the chapter equips student affairs professionals with foundational knowledge, practical strategies, and a relational framework for supporting student mental health while remaining within appropriate professional boundaries.