Mental Hospitals’

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28685, 8 September 1958, Page 3

Mental Hospitals’

Sir,—Those who unduly emphasise the smaller irritations of mental hospital life do a disservice to real mental hospital reform. and to devoted doctors and nurses who are doing their best without adequate staff and facilities. Insular New Zealand has not kept pace with domiciliary psychiatric services, night hospitals, day hospitals, sufficient trained staff for psychotherapy and inter-personal treatment, open hospitals, and the provision of smaller comrhunity units 7)1 not more than 350 beds in place of large institutions. This country has not mobilised the help of the community in breaking down the isolation of the mentally ill. The present director (Dr. R. G. T. Lewis) may be the man to begin reforms. His annual report deals with the appointment of psychologists, industrial social workers, the increased emphasis on outpatient work and rehabilitation, and a training scheme for psychiatric social workers. Thte . year 1960 is World Mental Health Year, and New Zealand has begun to move.—Yours, etc., x , CDOUGLAS C. McKECHNIE. September 24, 1958.