Chemistry Department Hires Private Psychiatrist

A recent University-wide study of Harvard's mental health resources found them under-staffed and inefficient. The Chemistry department, which has been faulted for isolating its students, has launched a new plan for student mental health.

It seems a good move, but some Harvard experts are withholding their full support.

After a highly publicized suicide of a chemistry graduate student about 18 months ago, the chemistry department has tried to improve its graduate students' quality of life.

In addition to building a student center and offering more social activities, the department has recently employed a private psychiatrist, Edward M. Hallowell, clinical instructor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), to give chemistry graduate students both practical and emotional advice.

"We have opened up confidential channels for any graduate student and post-doc to seek counseling in a private setting, in the conditions they want it, without knowledge getting back to anyone else," said Weld Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry James G. Anderson, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

No other academic department has made a similar private resource available to its students. The program is completely funded by the chemistry department, and open only to the department's students

That has made some of Harvard's mental health resources community nervous.

Charles P. Ducey, director of the Bureau of Study Counsel, which provides advice and counseling for undergraduates, said that though the initiative is a creative one, he disagrees with the chemistry department's strategy.

"However well-intentioned, this approach could lead to other problems," he said.

Ducey said that relying on outside sources for mental health help may lead to inequitable treatment of students and an absence of evaluation and quality control.

"I think it's a very bad idea to not have centralized resources. In that sense I think it's confusing and distracting," he said. "It's that kind of minor thing that could be improved [at Harvard]."

"It's certainly important that the chemistry dept. has taken this level of concern," said Paul Summergrad, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who chaired the committee that produced the University mental health report. "I think, however, it's important that the kind of systems that have been put in place apply to care across the board."

Yet graduate school is a particularly stressful time in people's lives, the chemistry department's Anderson said, and studying chemistry at this level can be especially difficult.

"We pick outstanding students, but the transition to research is hard," he said. "The educational system doesn't prepare anyone for it."

Instead of learning material, doing problem sets and taking tests, graduate students have the harder task of "posing the right question" and then tackling the challenge. Anderson said the intensity of research can be daunting.

"Chemistry has moved into a position in which the research is going into a very high level," he said. "It's very exciting, but a very intense environment."

Students say they agree that they could use all the advice they can get.

"It seems like it wouldn't be a bad idea for any department to ensure the best support possible," said Laurie Deiner, a third-year chemistry graduate student. "I think any grad experience would be an intense one."

In addition to meeting privately and confidentially with students, Hallowell has also given talks on topics like teaching students how to recognize the signs that they are beginning to isolate themselves too much.

Anderson said the department secured the psychiatrist's services in part because its members felt University resources open to all graduate students are not necessarily completely confidential.

But Ducey said that the University's mental health clinics--including the Bureau of Study Counsel--has an ethical obligation of confidentiality that binds the staff.

The problem, he said, is that students do not always feel comfortable taking the initiative in seeking help.

"Students who actually seek out and fully utilize these services generally find them sufficient to address their academic and psychological issues and needs," he said.