Admissions Scandal, College Pressure & Mental Health

Admissions Scandal, College Pressure, and Mental Health

Quote from Ellen Braaten - "We have this idealized version of perfection, which is true perfection."

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By Steven Schlozman, MD, Ellen Braaten, PhD and Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Posted in: Podcast

You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps – just search for “Shrinking It Down.”

On today’s show, Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve to think deeper about our American culture that’s contributed to issues like the recent college admissions scandal, as well as less extreme (and less fraudulent) measures we take to ensure our kids succeed at a level that’s far above-average. What message does it send to young people today when we have expectations of true perfection, or go as far to take actions to suggest they’re not good enough to succeed on their own?

We’ll discuss this and more. Write to us with your thoughts!

Media List

CVS pharmacy plans to change music played when your call is put on hold (Good Morning America)
30 Fast Facts About The College Admissions Scandal (Forbes)
Academic Testing Accommodations for ADHD: Do They Help? (Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal)
IDEA Act (US Department of Education)
Use of ‘smart drugs’ on the rise (Nature)
We Can’t Talk About The College Admissions Scandal Without Discussing Mental Health (Huffington Post)
High School Junior Stresses (MGH Clay Center)
From the ashes, the dark phoenix rises again! (imgur)
David Bowie – Space Oddity (Official Video, YouTube)

Technical direction provided by Andrew Bergner
Episode edited by Sara Rattigan
Music by Gene Beresin
Special vocal solo by Ellen Braaten

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Steven Schlozman, MD

Steven Schlozman, MD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), course director of the psychopathology class for the MIT-HMS Program in Health, Sciences and Technology, and former co-director of the Clay Center for Youn...

To read full bio click here.

Ellen Braaten, PhD

Ellen Braaten, PhD, is executive director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, and former co-director for the MGH Clay Cente...

To read full bio click here.

Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, MD, MA is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also...

To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.