"UNRECOVERED."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 272, 16 November 1937, Page 9

"UNRECOVERED."

MENTAL PATIENTS.

CERTIFICATE PROBLEM. "AGE OF BUZZ AND WHIZZ." (By, Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. "I believe it would be easier to get out of our gaols than out or our mental hospitals, and that is because our legislation is not complete," eaid Mr. E. J. Howard (Government, Christchurch South) in the House of Representatives to-day during a discussion on the annual report of the mental hospitals of the Dominion.

Mr. Howard drew attention to the system in operation under which patients and boarders were allowed to leave the inetitutions on probation, and he quoted the following paragraph in the report presented by Dr. T. G. Gray, Director-

(ieneral of Mental Hospitals: "Under the provisions of our Act a patient on

probation may be discharged as recovered during his period of probation only if the medical superintendent receives a medical certificate testifying

to the patient's recovery, but if no certificate ie forthcoming he must be discharged as 'unrecovered.' We frequently have up to 700 patients on probation, and the majority of these convalesce at home to ultimate recovery, but relatively few send the requisite certificate to the detriment of our statistics." "Patient that Hatters." It was the patient that mattered, not the statistics, said Mr. Howard. He mentioned the case of' a wOman now in business who, in reality, had no rights because she had not received a "recovered" certificate after, being placed on probation. She could never be mistress of her own-affairs- until «he received such a clearance. The report itself in this connection was a reflection on the system. ' The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hamilton, said the Act should be examined with a view to an alteration being made in respect to certificates of recovery. A medical man might not be in a position to certify that a patient had fully recovered, and at the same time he might not be able to say -that the person was "mental." Some combination between the two should be devised. Referring to the increase in the number of patients in the various institutions, Mr. Hamilton said that the depression years had had an effect on the minds of many people. The' specialist of the future would be the nerve specialist. "We buzz and whizz past at a terrific rate to-day, he said.

'14 is. a great strain on the nerves."

The Minister in charge of Mental Hospitals, Mr. Fraser, agreed that the depression years had affected the mental stability of many people, but he could not speak with definite proof on the subject. The part played by heredity was another big problem. "Utter Nonsense." Dealing with patients who left the institutions on probation, the Minister said that their friends were informed when they went out that if they obtained a certificate from a doctor that they were completely recovered they would be marked off accordingly. In certain cases it might be found necessary to adopt another course because the results were not satisfactory. Public opinion had been responsible for the idea that a person who had been in a mental hospital had something to be ashamed of. In his opinion that was utter nonsense. It was highly desirable that patients w,ho had recovered should be written off. Consideration would be given to seeing if some more efficient system than the present could be evolved. Air. Fraser stressed the necessity for educating the community to appreciate that, apart from certain characteristics, there was not a wide difference between public hospitals and mental hospitals. Both institutions cared for the suffering, the one for the physical sufferer and the other for the mentally afflicted. The fact that it was thought desirable to isolate certain people from the community in general indicated that heredity had to be taken into account. One of the most pleasing features of the report was the effort made to overcome to some extent the lamentable overcrowding of mental hospitals that had existed for many years, the Minißter continued. In saying that he was not reflecting on any of his predecessors in office or on the Director-General concerned. The Minister said there was no need for understanding, and if it occurred it Mould be rectified. With the extra time off each week and longer holidays the work was not unattractive, except perhaps in the worst wards.