HUL361 Assignment 1

Nishant Agarwal - 2020MT10828

Objective: To conduct an in-depth review of online/offline mental health initiatives at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT).

According to their website, MIT Health's Student Mental Health & Counseling Services work with students to identify,
understand, and solve problems, and to help transform that understanding into positive action.

Three initiatives taken by MIT to tackle mental health initiatives among students are:-

1) Group Counseling
This program offers a feeling of community and useful skills to help students manage their personal and
academic life, thereby addressing a wide range of concerns and obstacles that they may encounter while
attending MIT.

As outlined below, this is accomplished through a sequence of seminars, discussion/support groups, and skills
groups.

Workshops
● Facing Climate Change and Cultivating Hope: Addresses climate change's mental health effects,
fostering a supportive space for students to share feelings and coping strategies.
● HEALING 101 for Male-Identifying Survivors: Provides a safe environment for learning and
connection among male-identifying survivors of sexual violence, emphasizing inclusive support.
● Survivors of Suicide Loss Workshop: Offers support for students dealing with the personal tragedy
of suicide loss, focusing on connection and understanding.

Discussion/Support Groups
● Men’s and Undergraduate LGBTQ+ Groups: Offer exploration of identities, personal challenges
discussion, and community support.
● Latinx and Graduate Black Women’s Groups: Support spaces for discussing mental health and
cultural issues, tailored to specific identities.

Skills Groups
● CBT and Self-Compassion for Graduate Women in STEM: Focuses on mental health support,
self-compassion, and mindfulness.
● DBT Skills and ADHD Groups: Provide skills for managing emotions and ADHD challenges,
highlighting customized mental health support.

Analysis of this initiative

● Strengths
○ Comprehensive Coverage: The curriculum addresses a wide range of topics, including
academic support, personal management, rehabilitation from sexual abuse, and climate
concerns. This makes sure that students' various problems are taken care of, which increases
the likelihood that a student will discover a support group that is suitable for their requirements.
○ Inclusivity and Diversity: The program promotes diversity by providing support groups for
students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and other groups. This promotes the development of a
community where people feel comfortable sharing and receiving support, as well as
acknowledging the varied experiences that students from different backgrounds have.
○ Skill-based Support: Providing useful tools for controlling emotions, practicing CBT and DBT,
and managing ADHD under expert supervision are all praiseworthy.
 ● Areas for improvement
○ Accessibility and Engagement: Although the program is wide-ranging, its effects depend on
students' awareness of it and their desire to participate. MIT needs to make sure that these tools
are broadly disseminated and that obstacles to involvement (like stigma) are removed.
○ Long-term Support Options: Many groups are structured as short-term interventions. While
this can be effective for immediate support, integrating options for ongoing or follow-up support
could benefit students needing longer-term assistance.

2) Self-care resources
MIT also provides a variety of videos and podcasts here, which cover a variety of topics ranging from how to
deal with exam anxiety to Black mental health matters and FAQs on antidepressants.

Information about videos

● Dealing with exam anxiety: There includes information about the effects of stress on the mind and
body, the relationship between ideas, feelings, and behaviors, and many multi-step techniques for
managing the mind, body, and emotions under stressful situations.
● Baking bread with Tony Lim: In order to relieve tension, the video suggests kneading dough to bake
bread, which is a calming activity. There are also a number of stress-reduction suggestions in the video.
● Flight, fright or freeze with Dr. Daniel Debowy: The movie offers details on the brain's warning
systems, how it affects behavior and emotions, and how to control automatic reactions.

Information about podcasts

● Black Mental Health Matters: Leslie Langston, a clinical social worker, is the guest of host Melanie
Cole. They talk about mental health services for people of color. They address the community's
preference—despite confronting particular hurdles such legacy trauma and academic pressures—for
non-professional support over therapy. Langston discusses the value of expert assistance, telltale
indicators that a person needs therapy, and the advantages of putting self-care first. The episode
highlights doable actions for preserving wellbeing and exhorts MIT students to make use of the services
for mental health that are readily available.
● Track it - Using data for Self-Care: Erik Marks, a guest, and Melanie Cole discuss the benefits of
data-driven self-care. Erik recommends monitoring sleep and stress levels in order to spot problems
and enhance wellbeing. In order to track trends and make meaningful adjustments, he suggests using
spreadsheets and journals. The discussion highlights the value of both quantitative and qualitative data
in improving personal health, emphasizing the need of setting quantifiable goals and taking therapy for
deeper difficulties into consideration.
● Antidepressants FAQs: Dr. Anthony Van Niel, a guest, and Melanie Cole talk about antidepressants
for significant depression and emphasize that these drugs work best when used in conjunction with
psychotherapy. He talks about side effect concerns and the significance of a comprehensive treatment
plan that includes lifestyle modifications. SSRIs are the main class of antidepressants, according to Dr.
Van Niel, who also emphasizes their safety and low risk of drug interactions.

Analysis of this initiative

● Strengths
○ Diverse Content: The curriculum covers a wide range of mental health topics, including how to
deal with test anxiety, how to relieve stress through hobbies like baking, how to understand
physiological stress reactions, and how to use medications. This diversity meets the
community's varying demands and interests.
 ○ Combination of Media Formats: Combining podcasts and videos increases accessibility,
accommodates a wide range of learning and consuming patterns, and provides several
interaction opportunities.
● Areas for improvement
○ Measurement of Impact: Measuring the initiative's impact on the community's mental health
and overall well-being using metrics could help determine its effectiveness and advise future
developments. Examples include surveys, usage data analysis, and tracking mental health
results.
○ Feedback Mechanism:Implementing a way to collect feedback on the content may make it
easier to identify flaws, understand how the community's wants are evolving, and better target
future resources.

3) Evaluations and Consultations

A large group of care providers work at MIT. They include one clinical pharmacist and thirty-five counselors
who provide counseling services related to student mental health. The group of thirty-five counselors is made
up of different clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists with varying specialties.

Analysis of this initiative

● Strengths
○ Adequate staffing: Having a big team of professionals ensures that the counselors are not
overworked and adequate time and attention can be given to the concerns of every student and
faculty member who might approach the Mental Health services.
○ Diversity: The professionals are from varied backgrounds and some of them can speak
languages such as Cantonese, Spanish, etc. This is helpful as students from all over the world
attend MIT and if a certain student is not very fluent in English, they might have the option to
approach a professional who speaks their native language.
● Areas for improvement
○ Alumni Involvement: Engage alumni in mental health initiatives, both as resources for current
students (e.g., mentoring, networking) and as advocates for mental health awareness within the
broader MIT community. Alumni can offer valuable perspectives and support for students
navigating post-graduation challenges.
○ Enhanced Accessibility: Ensure mental health services are easily accessible to all students,
including international students, graduate students, and those in remote learning situations. This
could involve expanding virtual counseling options, offering services in multiple languages, and
ensuring ADA compliance for all resources.