Teachers and School Staff

What are the warning signs of mental illness?

In the next few sections we’re going to use the term “mental illness”, because we’re talking primarily about the development of diagnosable illnesses such as mood, psychotic and anxiety disorders. We want to acknowledge, however, that it can be difficult to distinguish between these disorders and more common, and less serious mental health problems.
The early signs of mental illness can be difficult to recognize if you have no previous experience with them. Sometimes a person who is becoming increasingly mentally ill may not realize or accept that there is anything wrong.

Teachers are not diagnosticians or doctors, nor should we expect them to be. But they are expert observers, and can recognize early warning signs of adolescent mental illness if they know what they are.

The following are some of the more common signs of mental illness. Sometimes these changes are subtle, and happen gradually over time. This list is not exhaustive, and these signs could be indicative of things other than mental illness:

marked changes in personality;

confused thinking;

inability to cope with problems and daily activities;

strange ideas or delusions;

excessive fears, worries or anxiety;

prolonged feelings of irritability or sadness;

significant changes in eating or sleeping patterns;

thinking or talking about suicide;

extreme highs and lows in mood;

abuse of alcohol or drugs;

excessive anger, hostility;

paranoid behaviour;

social withdrawal;

irrational fears.

In reality, these symptoms are not always readily apparent. Teachers and other school staff may, however, be able to notice significant changes in their student’s work habits, behaviours, performance, and attendance, such as:

consistent late arrivals or frequent absences;

low morale;

disorganization in completing school work or in study habits;

lack of cooperation or a general inability to communicate with others;

increased accidents;

frequent complaints or evidence of fatigue or unexplained pains;

problems concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things;

missed deadlines, delays in completing assignments, poor exam grades;

making excuses for missed deadlines, or poor quality work;

decreased interest or involvement in class topics or academics in general.

Students who experience problems such as those listed above may simply be having a bad day or week, or may be working through a difficult time in their lives. A pattern that continues for a long period, or repeats, may indicate an underlying serious mental health problem or mental illness.

* Adapted from: Zuckerman, D., Debenham, K. & Moore, K. (1993) The ADA and People with Mental Illness: A Resource Manual for Employers. Available from the National Mental Health Association, 1021 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2971