CHANGING THE ACADEMIC CULTURE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH: DEPARTMENTAL AND UNIVERSITY-LEVEL INITIATIVES AT YALE

Mental health is a crucial issue in academia, but issues related to mental health and wellness are often swept under the rug, both at the individual and institutional levels. Mental health challenges can be particularly acute in geoscience, particularly in field, shipboard, laboratory, or virtual environments that are often isolating. In the Yale Earth and Planetary Sciences department, a working group was formed in 2021 to address issues around disability, mental health, and chronic illness and to discuss and implement solutions to ongoing challenges. This group has spearheaded a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness and changing the departmental culture around discussions of mental health, including workshops, town halls, surveys, and policy changes. Yale University has also recently implemented significant policy changes around mental health, including the expansion of mental health services for graduate students and changes to policies around medical withdrawal and reinstatement for undergraduates. This presentation will provide an overview of these initiatives, a discussion of ongoing challenges, and advice for departmental leaders (including chairs, directors of graduate studies, and DEI committee members) on how to effect change.