Fourth Edition, September 2011

Signs your student may be experiencing a mental health 
problem
Emotional/Behavioural signs

Overly withdrawn, quiet or doesn’t engage

Low self-esteem, feelings of failure or worthlessness

Increased irritability, which can appear as disobedience or aggression

Feeling hopeless or overwhelmed

Unstable moods, such that teachers and other students don’t know what to expect from them

A short fuse and lashing out when frustrated

Extreme worries or fears that interfere with friendships, schoolwork, or play

Severe mood swings aff ecting relationships with others

Drastic change in personality or behaviour

Extreme sadness lasting two weeks or more

Refusal to go to school on a regular basis
Academic signs

Fidgeting, constantly moving around or seems ‘always on the go’

Despite best eff orts, poor grades poor grades in school despite trying very hard or a 
noticeable decline in classroom participation

Poor attention to detail and careless mistakes in schoolwork

Does not appear to listen when spoken to directly

Does not follow instructions or fi nish tasks

Easily distracted

Forgetful in daily activities

Diffi
culty staying focused on one thing

Bores easily

Loses or forgets things often

Diffi
culty attending to individual work or class activity

Dreamy or unable to pay attention

Afraid to participate in class or answer questions

Diffi
culty managing during recess and free time, while unsupervised, and in larger groups

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A 7
Mental Health in the Classroom
Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca