Students Know Best

When asked by The Harvard Crimson about how students are doing, whether they have enough resources, and if they know where to go in order to get help, my initial reaction is that the paper doesn’t have enough space for a comprehensive answer.

For a start, we have increased staff in Mental Health Service; revitalized the Bureau Study Counsel academic support services; developed an outstanding alcohol and other drug service; expanded the educational efforts of the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and the Center for Wellness and Health Communication by welcoming them into the department of Behavioral Health and Academic Counsel; provided more education and support to residential staff; and worked to better coordinate all the programs in BHAC with the aim that students will be welcomed in any of our programs and directed to the most appropriate help. Without doubt, we are fortunate that our combined BHAC services are the best staffed, both in numbers and expertise, of any college in the country. Still, the efforts that mean the most to me are those that aim to increase student participation in promoting the well being of our community.

Harvard College has a long tradition of student participation in promoting the emotional well-being of students. Room 13 was founded in the late 1960’s by Margie McKenna ’70, who is a psychiatrist at MHS. There are now five separate peer counseling programs, supervised by BSC and MHS staff. The student-run group, Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy Group, began 12 years ago. Now, we have the Community Health Initiative, Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors, the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Student Alliance and the Student Mental Health Liaisons, all dedicated to promoting student well being through education and advocacy.

Several basic principles guide our efforts. First, we know from various surveys that students rely first on each other for help. But if students feel embarrassed or humiliated to share how they are feeling, they remain alone with their suffering. Second, many students are misinformed about the basic facts of emotional distress and the resources available to help them. Third, we all learn by example and students provide the most visible and meaningful examples for their friends and fellow students.

The two pieces written by students on this page are wonderful examples of students sharing their experience and knowledge. Students lead by example when they speak without embarrassment about their treatment, or about feeling overwhelmed and finding help in conversations with friends and counselors. They teach us that emotional distress is common and remind us that we are more than a psychiatric diagnosis.

Building on these principles, our effort is to develop a vibrant student partnership in order to create a caring community that recognizes friends in distress, supports them, and knows where to steer students for professional help. Thus far, the students’ participation has been impressive. For example, for the past three years, the Mental Health Awareness Week has been developed and implemented by students with support from UHS. Last year, we started a new student liaison group whose membership has grown to more than 20 students. One of the major sources of data about the attitudes of students regarding mental health services and the utilization of mental health services comes from Judy Herbstman ’07’s senior thesis. Each year for the past four years, Mental Health Advocacy and Awareness Group has sponsored small discussion groups and major guest speakers. Students are eager to serve as peer counselors and they provide a growing number of students with confidential peer support.

Students are the experts about their lives and how they can live in college. We must rely on them to educate us and be our liaisons to the student community. We believe the more students are invested in the well being of the college community, the more students benefit. Fewer students suffer privately; fewer students feel ashamed to ask for help; and more students recognize that conversation with counselors or mental health staff improves their self esteem, lifts their mood, and reduces suffering.

How are our students doing? Most of our students—most of the time—are doing great. However, many students at times feel overwhelmed and need support. If our services continue to work collaboratively with students, most students will get the support they need. Every year I feel privileged and thankful to have the opportunity to work closely with our students, the College staff, and my colleagues in BHAC.



Dr. Paul J. Barreira is the Director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling at Harvard University Health Services, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.