Mental Health
‘You Are a Liability’: Student Lawsuit Could Force Harvard To Change Mental Health Policies, Experts Say
The lawsuit — filed by five students in May — raises serious questions about Harvard’s enforcement of involuntary leave policies and could force the University to change them, legal experts said.
Harvard Asks Judge to Dismiss Discrimination Suit Filed Over Mental Health Policies
Harvard moved on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit from student advocacy group Students 4 Mental Health Justice, which accused the University of discrimination against students with mental health disabilities.
Harvard Researchers Link Early-Life Adversity in Dogs to Lasting Fear and Aggression
A new study on canine development found that dogs exposed to adversarial events, including abuse and abandonment, in the first six months of their development have higher rates of aggression and fear as adult dogs.
HUDS Talk Emphasizes Importance of Communal Dining for Students
Micah Kaats, a Ph.D. candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School, said that sharing meals with others directly correlates to higher levels of happiness at a Harvard University Dining Services’ Food Literacy Project event on Wednesday.
After Diversity Office Closures, Peer Counseling Services Face New Questions
Two months after Harvard College closed its three diversity offices, Harvard’s undergraduate peer counseling programs remain operational — but the shifting landscape of support resources has left counselors uncertain about where to direct students.
Harvard Cancels TimelyCare Psychiatry Appointments for September After Hitting Contractual Limit
Harvard has canceled psychiatry appointments for students through TimelyCare — a telehealth platform that provides free mental health services — for the month of September because the University hit a contractual limit on annual visits.
Survey Finds Harvard Students Experience Lower Rates of Mental Illness Than Peers at Other Schools
Harvard students reported better mental health — including lower rates of anxiety and depression — than their peers nationwide, according to results from a University-wide survey released Tuesday.
Students Sue Harvard Over Mental Health Policies
Students 4 Mental Health Justice, an advocacy group composed partly of Harvard undergraduates, sued the University over allegations that it discriminates against students with mental health disabilities in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Thursday.
‘Just Get to Work’: Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Focuses on Care, President Says at Forum
In the greater Boston area, where nearly 13,000 individuals can experience homelessness on a given night, many nonprofits work to address systemic housing issues. But the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program has taken a different approach — emphasizing immediate and continuous care.
Harvard, Stanford Study Links Wildfires to Increases in Mental Health Concerns
A recent study conducted jointly by a team of researchers at Harvard and Stanford University examining 2020 emergency room visits across California links wildfire smoke exposure to mental health related visits — with an outsized psychological toll particularly among women, youth, and racial and ethnic minorities.
HUA Officers Lobby Administrators for Changes to Leave of Absence Policy
The Harvard Undergraduate Association convened for its weekly general assembly meeting on Sunday to discuss the return of last semester’s Uber voucher program and support for students who have taken leaves of absence.
HUHS Report Reveals 17 Percent Increase in Annual Patient Visits
Harvard University Health Services reported an approximately 17 percent increase in patient visits in 2024, according to the department’s annual report published last month.
Harvard DSO Hosts ‘Mattering’ Initiative Kickoff Event
Over 50 Harvard students shared fun facts over free Playa Bowls in Cambridge Queen’s Head Monday to celebrate the kickoff of the Dean of Students Office’s “mattering” initiative — an effort intended to instill a sense of belonging among students.
‘Play, Read, Vote’: Panelists Discuss Election Anxiety at Harvard Public Health School
Political analysts, public health officials, and pollsters discussed navigating election anxiety at a panel at the Harvard School of Public Health on Tuesday.
HUHS Reports Increases in Mental Health Care Usage
Harvard saw “slight increases in students accessing mental health care” in a recently distributed survey, according to Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen in a Monday interview with the Crimson.
Police Safely Remove Man Experiencing Mental Health Crisis From Science Center Roof
Dozens of law enforcement officers swarmed the Science Center on Monday evening in response to a 911 call of a man experiencing a mental health emergency on the roof of the building.
Cambridge Unarmed Response Team Dispatches to 911 Calls
The Cambridge Safety Department’s unarmed response team is now responding to nine different types of non-violent 911 calls in the latest effort to expand policing alternatives.
Nguyen Says HUHS Prioritizing Accessibility to Mental Health Services, Declines to Comment on Luke Tang Trial
Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen said in a Thursday interview that HUHS is prioritizing accessibility to mental health services, currently offering same-day availability for initial consultations.
Jury Finds CAMHS Employee Melanie Northrop Not Negligent in 2015 Student Suicide
Melanie G. Northrop, a Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services employee who served as the case manager for Luke Z. Tang ’18, was found not culpable of “negligence and carelessness” in her care for Tang, a student who died by suicide in 2015.
Attorneys Present Closing Arguments in Wrongful Death Trial Against CAMHS Employee
Attorneys for Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services employee Melanie G. Northrop said Luke Z. Tang ’18 chose not to pursue treatment prior to his death during closing arguments on the final day of the wrongful death trial on Monday.
Expert Witness Says Northrop’s Lack of Summer Contact Was ‘Typical’ for University Case Workers
Carrie E. Landa, Boston University’s executive director for student wellbeing, testified on Thursday that Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services employee Melanie G. Northrop’s lack of contact with Luke Z. Tang ’18 over the summer was “typical” for university case workers.
Luke Tang’s Case Manager Did Not Tell Lowell Staff About His Medical History Before Suicide
Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services employee Melanie G. Northrop said that when Luke Z. Tang ’18 returned to campus following the summer she did not ask her CAMHS colleagues about Tang or communicate his medical history to Lowell House staff.
Veterans and Medical Professionals Talk Mental Health at IOP Forum
A panel of U.S. Army veterans, mental health professionals, and a film producer discussed the mental health challenges that service members face at a Harvard Institute of Politics forum on Wednesday evening.
CAMHS Employee, Facing Wrongful Death Suit, Testifies She Followed ‘Standard Procedure’
Harvard Counseling And Mental Health Services employee and defendant Melanie G. Northrop testified that she complied with “standard procedure” in providing for Luke Z. Tang ’18.
CAMHS Employee Said Not Consulted for ‘Care Contract’ in Wrongful Death Trial Over 2015 Student Suicide
A Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services employee said that despite being listed on a “care contract” with Luke Z. Tang ’18, he was never consulted about Tang’s wellbeing.
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