MENTAL SECURITY OF CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 13

MENTAL SECURITY OF CHILDREN

REPORT ON SYDNEY CONFERENCE

Mr J. F. Johnson, senior inspector of the Canterbury Education Board, has returned from the World Hfealth Organisation’s seminar on mental health of children held recently in Sydney. This western Pacific regional conference was not so much concerned with those who are incompetent to remain in society as with general mental security being made part of any health programme, Mr Johnson told the Education Board. It was not a meeting solely of psychologists. but included equal representation of pediatricians, teachers and social workers to give “a solid crosssection” of those concerned with the Welfare of children in any way. It soon became, apparent that any mental disorders experienced by adults probably reflected some influence in early childhood, and for that reason the seminar dealt extensively with children “from nought to six.” The gravity of the situation was shown by American estimates that one person in 20 was likely to enter a mental hospital for some period in his lifetime. In NeW York State the ratio was estimated at One In 12.

The findings of the seminar Werfe humbling to the Western delegates who thought they might mave much to offer the Asian peoples, Mr Johnson said.

Ap eminent delegate from the Philippines told the conference that Western civilisation coUld create for these peoples problems of mental health unknown to them previously. Anxieties about security with the approach of old age had been reported. Mr Johnson said that in thfe Philippines families Were so large and loyalties so strong that few children were likely to renounce their parents in old age. The same situation also removed the common problem of disturbance to children who were deprived Of thfeir mothers. The family unit was so large with grandmothers and aunts living together that removal of the mother would be less noticeable. The Philippines delegate said that his was essentially a religious country where divorce was infinitesimal. Christchurch pefsbns Who had been advocating more frequent parental visiting of children in hospital would have been delighted with the reports of progress in this direction elsewhere, Mr Johnson said.

The seminar ended with three days devoted to the practical questions of distributing the information available and translating it into activity throughout the member countries.