While there are many resources available on campus to help improve student mental health, such as confidential and free counseling for students struggling with mental health and an on-campus psychiatrist for those who may benefit from medications, members of the Wellness Committee understand that students still may be hesitant to meet with a counselor. The Wellness Committee is a student group led by adviser Ms. Alexandra Copeland dedicated to creating a healthy environment at Choate by promoting wellness and balance in the community.
One of the main mental health issues that the Wellness Committee identified amongst students is stress. This can come from many areas, including academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and personal problems. Students who are struggling with stress-related problems and issues can always receive aid from members on the counseling team and the Wellness Committee.
Even with the systems of support in place, many students believe that more support institutions are needed. James Stuber ’24 said, “I think there is a lack of support for athletes at this institution. If you’re doing Orchestra or another ensemble, it is impossible to play a sport, go to rehearsal, and eat dinner everyday. I haven’t had enough time and support to do everything I’ve wanted.”
Co-leader of Wellness Committee Maddie Chia ’23 added, “I think overall consensus is on the more negative side. Choate as an institution fails to support most students mentally while simultaneously putting an unhealthy amount of stress on them. I think there are resources Choate has that could be super helpful, but they either aren’t publicized enough or they aren’t implemented to be as helpful as they could be.”
Especially now, during Mental Health Awareness Month, change to better support students is necessary and in the process of being implemented. Dr. Lopez noted, “Although I believe that what we offer is helpful to students, I am aware that we can continue to do better.” For example, The Wellness Committee is working hard on making Mental Health Day readily accessible to all, especially to those who may feel overwhelmed and are seeking a day off.
Ms. Copeland added, “We realized that counseling services were in high demand for students this year. To meet this demand, we added a part-time counselor for this school year to ensure there was not a waitlist for students to access services. We are currently in the process of hiring another full-time counselor for next school year. We want to make sure that there are no barriers or waitlists in accessing counseling services. We are also revamping and redeveloping our wellness curriculum, which will include mental health components.”
The administration, form deans, and wellness advisers are all also regularly discussing ways in which student health and experience can be improved at Choate. “I think there are three things that could help the mental health support system for students at Choate: First, providing more educational opportunities to students around mental health and making sure it is included in our wellness curriculum that is being developed. Second, having designated wellness spaces for students, and third, providing more safe spaces for individuals struggling with mental health to be able to process and connect with others. Most of these things are discussed and in progress.”
It is important that mental health at Choate is discussed and that awareness is present, and it is necessary that the School implement more support systems to improve students’ mental health. Dr. Lopez believes that “mental health awareness should be widespread,” and it is vital to “not only provide education, but to also provide opportunities to engage in activities that would enhance wellness” to truly improve the well-being of Choate students.
Ms. Copeland concluded, “Many times, people get mental health confused with mental illness. Everyone has mental health, just like they have physical health, but not everyone has mental illness, just like not everyone has a physical illness. Talking more about [mental health] lowers the stigma around individuals accessing help and helps us to promote support systems.” Thus, the Wellness Committee hopes to highlight the importance of maintaining one’s mental health through conversation, structured education, and new policies.
