After the recent Crimson editorial that came out last week, students at the school have been assaulted with a barrage of criticism directed at the administration and its mental services. Caustic comments assert that UHS is to blame for the student’s struggles alone, leaving few to look introspectively at the problem.
Harvard does not have a problem accepting those who admit problems; Harvard has a problem accepting those who admit failure. The disincentives for coming forward and admitting mental illness are not only well described in the Friday piece but also the “I am Fine” editorial, published in February 2010, which caused a similar stir. An overly competitive student body portrays paradigms of mental and physical health and at a school where workload burdens are used as bragging points, admitting that you need help is tantamount to the implicit assertion that you cannot ‘cut it’.
This is not to say Harvard is without fault; remember that this is the same school at which—just fifteen years ago—ten percent of the students considered committing suicide. In that article, a former graduate talks about how the university encourages students to leave campus to protect its own liability. However, this must be mitigated with a concern for selection bias. Those who talk to the media are the most extreme cases; in most cases by sending people home Harvard will send a student home to mental services that are likely more effective than those provided in Cambridge, to a less stressful environment where people are more conscious of their needs. At Harvard, the epidemic of stress creates a ‘me-first’ mentality appropriate for a slew of individuals for whom success seems to run in the blood. Surrounded by a bevy of prodigies and geniuses, intimidated students often feel troubled coming forward. Hectic schedules leave less time for others to expend energy on caring for others and, more importantly, self-care. Although the university is not innocent, this culture—more than anything else—is complicit in this tragedy and the first thing we should look to fix.