[352] in peace2
Depression at MIT: Father knows best!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Aimee L Smith)
Wed Sep 6 17:16:07 2000
Message-Id: <200009062115.RAA13398@mint-square.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU, gwg@MIT.EDU
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Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2000 17:15:57 -0400
From: Aimee L Smith <alsmith@MIT.EDU>
Have you ever felt that MIT is a cold and uncaring place?
Ever wonder why students seem to take their lives at a regular pace?
Wonder why so many people here experience depression?
Known people who couldn't get an appointment for weeks at mental
health? Couldn't get more than a couple of meetings? Were offered
medication, but not human contact?
A few of us were wondering some of this as we were talking with folks
about this past orientation for new students. We met Peter Reich, the
head of mental health, and he agreed to meet with us more thoroughly.
At that meeting, we told him our concerns and how too many people
seem to be suffering here and that a little more human contact in
the mental health office would be a good thing i.e. could we work on
getting more money to hire more folks there.
Below are the mails that were sent between Larry Bacow and PEter Reich.
Call me paranoid, but I don't get a strong sense of respect for
student concerns and the breadth of this VERY set of concerns from
his email. I am going to bring this up at tonights GSC meeting
and would apreciate any of you who could possibly do it to show up
at the meeting above the muddy in Walker memorial.
I just have to wonder, how many people have to die before this issue is
taken seriously? How many have to drop out without reaching their full
potential? I don't know. Maybe I am just overtired, but this seems
really pathetic. Curious to hear the thoughts of others.
In hope,
Aimee
------- Forwarded Message
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 16:16:38 -0400
To: "Peter Reich" <Reic@med.mit.edu>
From: "Lawrence S. Bacow" <bacow@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Student Initiative
Cc: <alsmith@mit.edu>, <elrond@mit.edu>, <larryben@mit.edu>,
<randolph@mit.edu>
Dear Peter,
I think only good can come from a fresh look at how we address the
mental health needs of our students. However, I would like to see this as
a collaborative effort between your office and Larry Benedict's. To be
successful, we must engage the housemasters, the counseling deans, and
perhaps the academic advising system to help support our students. I
suggest that you work with Larry as co-chairs to define a charge and
membership. While students should participate, we must not allow the
process to be driven by a small handfull of students with a specific
agenda. We have a responsibility to do what we as professionals think is
wise.
Larry
At 11:35 AM -0400 9/5/2000, Peter Reich wrote:
>Dear Larry:
>
>Two graduate students, Aimee Smith and Brice Smith, have just been in to
>see me about issues similar to the ones expressed by Eric Plosky last
>year. There are a lot of people concerned about mental health at MIT!
>
>Eric has just been in touch with me and with David Millis, current head of
>the UA, hoping we will go ahead with the formation of a task force.
>
>I think we can really accomplish something this year. I would like to
>move ahead to convene a working group of students and
>administrators/clinicians to address matters relating to mental health and
>counseling on campus. We should keep the group small enough to work
>effectively but still represent the various concerned groups. Of course I
>hope Larry Benedick will join us.
>
>Have you any further thoughts?
>
>Best wishes, Peter
===============================================================
Lawrence S. Bacow
Chancellor
Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Room 10-200, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-253-2004 Fax: 617-258-6261 E-mail: bacow@mit.edu
===============================================================
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