Educational Campaign On Mental Health Planned

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29178, 12 April 1960, Page 3

Educational Campaign On Mental Health Planned

An educational campaign to be carried on in the Christchurch community at three levels to remove the “stigma, misapprehensions and prejudices” associated with mental disease was outlined by the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. Douglas) in a statement yesterday. The programme will culminate in “Operation Floodlight”—a period of not less than one week and not more than one month in about August 1961 to bring enlightenment and a wider knowledge to the community on mental health. The plan has been drafted in observance of the World Health Organisation’s Mental Health Year. Three Levels

The three levels at which the educational project would be aimed were: first the man and woman in the street through the ordinary dissemination of information; second the informed layman who in the course of his work was involved in the field of mental health; and third, medical practitioners and people in the para-medical services, according to the statement. The second group, which would include lawyers, police, social workers, ministers of religion and many other professional and semi-profession-al people would have’ lectures and discussions and the third group—the medical profession would participate in a post-gradu-ate course, Dr. Douglas said. The approach would be social and preventive rather than clinical and curative. “It also seemed possible that any organisation set up to carry out such an educational programme might well remain in being, possibly as a local council for mental health, after the initial project had been completed,” he said. Under wider terms of reference involving public mental health education, the efforts of all organisations in this field might be co-ordinated, and as well, provide, co-ordinate and expand volunteer services to assist mental health services already in existence or coming into existence, he said. Wide Representation As a result of a meeting on March 16 committees have been organised to implement the campaign. There are a general, finance and programme committee, with the latter broken down into three categories: a lay education committee, a professional education committee and a women’s activity committee. Personnel of these committees which are to include a wide representation of the community have not yet been fully determined. “The campaign would require the services of informed professional men who could hold public meetings, discussion groups, seminars and symposia, talks over the radio, and write articles for the newspapers in such a way that they had maximum appeal to the public.” the statement said. Overseas Experts “It would be an additional advantage if two or three individuals of world standing could be invited to Christchurch to take part in this project,” Dr. Douglas said, and it was the intention of the committee to suggest names of suitable persons. A suggestion had been put forward that addresses given by

New Zealand or overseas experts should be published in book form for distribution. “This is a community project which looks as if it will bear abundantly,” Dr. Douglas said. The committees which had already commenced work were enthusiastic without being unrealistic, he said. At present a rough estimate of the finance required would be £2500 to £3OOO and it was the function of the finance committee to consider ways and means of raising the money, from such sources as the Health Department, Internal Affairs through Adult Education, grants from the Students’ Charities Committee funds, local authorities, the general public and businessmen in and around Christchurch.