Instructor Spotlight: Hailey Swett and Rowan Chetner

Tell us about yourselves and what inspired you to teach this course 

We are both passionate about decreasing stigma and bias against mental illness in our society, a passion influenced by our own life experiences and areas of study. We believe that a critical examination of how our society deals with and portrays mental health is an important first step in the process of destigmatization.  Our class takes a broad look at the topic, because it is important to look at the issues from multiple perspectives. So far, we have examined social media, movies and TV shows, books, and the news. Later in the semester, we will explore how mental health conversations are dealt with in face-to-face and virtual interactions and relationships, as well as how we are taught about mental health and illness throughout the education system.  

What more can universities be doing to support students’ mental health? 

At Tufts, we are lucky enough to have access to resources such as CMHS, Ears for Peers, CARE, and the Chaplaincy. Various clubs and other organizations also provide mental health support. These types of resources represent how far we have come, but with that being said, there is always room for improvement. For example, CMHS cannot currently provide documentation for students who miss class and/or assignments for mental health reasons. This policy means that students are expected to negotiate with professors on their own regarding absences and make-up work, often without the support of a mental health professional. In support of mental health, Tufts could implement a university-wide policy that would allow for a certain number of excused absences for mental health-related reasons, just as we have for physical health-related reasons. Moreover, we believe conversation on strategies to maintain our well-being is lacking. Professors and administrators should discuss the importance of mental health and taking care of ourselves at all times, not just when we are struggling.  

Do you have any favorite portrayals of mental health in media?

While looking at sources such as movies, TV shows, and books, we have been grappling—alongside our students—with questions about the often-blurry line between destigmatization and romanticization of mental illness. Of course, there are certain portrayals of mental illness that clearly increase bias and stigma, generally by presenting a person who has a mental illness as being solely defined by that diagnosis (as opposed to a full-fledged human) and conforming to harmful stereotypes. However, many portrayals are more ambiguous and require closer examination. Overall, our class has found that many written sources—both in fiction and in memoir—are able to portray mental illness in a way that is humanizing and not stigmatizing. Examples include Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, Normal People by Sally Rooney, Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, I’m Telling the Truth but I’m Lying by Bassey Ikpi, and The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen. That said, no portrayal of mental health is perfect and our students have reflected on the ways the authors of these books could improve their depictions.

What do you hope that students will take away from your course? 

We hope that our students come away from our course with a deeper ability to critically analyze mental health portrayals in media, conversations, and within their educational systems. We want our students to come out of the course feeling empowered and ready to make a change in their own lives and communities. With each source and topic we consider, we not only look at strengths and weaknesses but also what could be improved, thereby refining the problematic and building on the strong. We hope our students will use these skills throughout the rest of their time at Tufts and in their lives outside of and beyond school.  

What is something coming up in your course that you are excited about? 

Looking forward to the rest of the semester, we are excited to see our students’ final projects. These projects will be a culmination and application of what students have learned throughout this course. Students will choose an issue regarding mental health portrayals and construct a plan to ameliorate the issue. They will decide the breadth and depth for whatever topic they choose and will be encouraged to use a creative format to present their plan to the class. Our students already share such wonderful ideas and creative solutions in class each week, so we can’t wait to see what they come up with for these assignments!  

Hailey Swett (she/her) is a senior majoring in Child Study and Human Development, with minors in History and Dance. She is from Norwich, Vermont, where she grew up participating in the classic Vermont activities of maple sugaring and making apple cider. She teaches English at the Boston Public Library and is involved with Tufts Hillel, Tufts Marathon Team, and Tufts Literacy Corps.

Rowan Chetner (she/her) is a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child Study and Human Development. She is from Toronto and Calgary, Canada where she grew up participating in the classic Canadian activities of skiing and playing hockey (on ice and on the street). She is on the Club Swim Team, Tufts Marathon Team, and is a Research Assistant in the Tufts University Social Cognition Lab.