New Attitudes To Mental Health

Press, Volume C, Issue 29517, 19 May 1961, Page 2

New Attitudes To Mental Health

“New knowledge about mental health is not going to make life simple, direct and comfortable—not unless you are retired and living on Jersey Island,” said Professor H. Field, chairman of the Canterbury Mental Health •Council, at the annual meeting of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women last evening. “Some tension and inner conflict are part of the conditions of mature living,” he said.

But the general aims of the Mental Health Council, and of the fortnight of lectures and publicity which it planned to bold in September, were to try to improve the effectiveness in living of people, and to reduce the needless personal suffering and the actions that were injurious to others. The first week of the fortnight which will begin on August 27, will be taken up with lectures and at professional level, and the second week will be for the general inquirer. There were two viewpoints on the subject of mental health, said Professoi Field. One could look at the negative aspects—the illnesses and disorders. "The human mind is very complex. and an understanding of these problems provides a starting-point for their improvement and ultimately for their prevention." The goals of full normal development provided the second viewpoint on the subject. Delinquency and crime also came into the picture, although it was a dangerous

oversimplification to identify delinquency and mental illness too closely, he said. Although there was no firm evidence of an increase in mental illness over the last century, maladjustments were a serious problem to society, said Professor Field. A study made in the 1940’s showed that 12,000 New Zealand children of primary school age were emotionally maladjusted. "A new trend is to bring the problem more into the open, and to consider it in relation to other factors. For example, the psychiatric section of the medical profession now works more closely with other specialists,” he said. “Less Fear, More Hope” Knowledge from mental psychiatry was affecting literature, and understanding was gradually seeping through to the community at large. "The result is less fear, more calm, less unjustified shame, and more hope,” said Professor Field. “The problem must be attacked on a great number of fronts—we cannot expect

unduly rapid or easy results. nor a cure for all ills,” he said. Improvement was needed in many aspects of social life. More training on this side was wanted for medical students, social workers, teachers and nurses. The whole aim of the Mental Health Council was to widen knowledge on the subject with a view to helping individuals, families and the community at large.