Intervene with empathy to support students in need

A growing mental health crisis in higher education makes it increasingly important for educators to intervene when they see students struggling. But student needs vary widely, so how can we offer effective, tailored support? 

At my institution, we use empathy maps, visualisation tools that help users understand a person’s thoughts, feelings, needs and actions during times of difficulty. Below are the components of an empathy map, along with guidance on how to use it to better support students in need. 

1. What the student sees. What students see in their immediate environment – family, friends, teachers and the content they observe on social networks – heavily determines their feelings and behaviour. Consider all of it when making an action plan for a student’s situation. This may require you to approach academic mentors or programme directors who can establish contact with the student’s family and friends to gain a better understanding.
2. What the student thinks and feels. How a student feels about a situation will influence their concentration in class and their ability to function in their daily lives. Maybe they are experiencing a health issue, or someone close to them is going through something difficult. Communicate with them to understand their main concerns and decide on the best course of action.
3. What the student hears. Take steps to understand what the student hears from their environment, including from family, friends or acquaintances.
4. What the student says and does. What are the student’s observable behaviours and attitudes? Consider, for example, the student’s attitude towards studying and other obligations, along with how they present themselves. Pay attention to how they speak, their hygiene, whether they seem rested, whether they are socialising as usual in class or whether they isolate themselves from classmates and teachers.
5. The students’ difficulties and environmental barriers. What frustrations is the student experiencing? How do these obstacles manifest themselves in his/her school or family environment? To gain a fuller picture, you can ask academic mentors or people in the student’s close circle. Identifying these signals will help you determine the level of support the student requires.
6. The student’s strengths and dreams. Our dreams and our strengths help us move forward in life. Identify these in your students and find ways to motivate them to work towards them.

• Make good mental health a university priority
• Building a culture of care to support students’ mental health
• How to know when students need mental health assistance

A step-by-step guide to using an empathy map 

When a teacher suspects a student is facing a personal issue, they should first observe changes in their mood, energy or academic performance. If the student appears distressed, check in with them. Do this by choosing a private and non-intimidating setting such as your classroom or a bench outdoors on campus. The conversation should be brief and supportive rather than investigative, so use open questions such as “How have things been feeling for you lately?” rather than “Is something wrong?”. Make sure to offer the student choices about when and where to talk, and whether they want someone else present, to give them a sense of autonomy. Regardless of what the student shares, inform the programme director and academic mentor. Together, they can consult the institution’s mental health support professionals to ensure the student receives appropriate support.

Using the empathy map and with guidance from the mental health support team, teachers and academic mentors can agree on measures to prevent the student’s grades being unfairly affected, such as:

Assessment deadline extensions

• Reduced workload during a crisis period, with later opportunities to complete missed components
• Alternative assessment formats, such as oral instead of written work
• Permission to attend remotely for a period
• Permission to step back from non-essential activities. 

Throughout, the teacher, mentor and counselling team should remain in close communication. 

If the situation is severe, the student might need support beyond what the university can provide, making the institution an important first point of contact.

An empathy map ensures a consistent approach between teachers, mentors and mental health professionals, ensuring students have the right level of support, whatever they might be going through. 

Eduardo de Jesús Faz Flores is professor of digital education at Tecnológico de Monterrey.

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