Public Ignorance’ Of Mental Illness

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31409, 30 June 1967, Page 7

Public Ignorance’ Of Mental Illness

Too great a barrier between, a the mental hospital and the r community has resulted In j public ignorance of the na- c ture of mental illness, the a problems of treatment, and I facilities, says the medical f superintendant of Sunnyside c Hospital (Dr. T. E. Hall) in 1 reply to a letter to “The f Press.” t The correspondent, “Dis- r gusted,” had criticised thej r move to have an open day at : the hospital. a The letter read:— “I read that there is to , be an “open day” at Sunny-'! side hospital. As one who has'i! a mother in this hospital, 1 ! object to patients being put < on public display. By all j means, let members of the ( community view the old i building—from the outside is enough to see the eyesore i and disgrace to the Govern- < ment, but not to allow Nosey j Parkers to roam around look- 1 ing for cheap amusements.” i Dr. Hall said: “The writer 1 refers to the old building as 11 being ‘an eysore and a dis- < grace to the Government.’ Yet if the public remain ignorant : of our facilities, how can they as voters bring wise pressure to bear on their elected representatives in Parliament I to bring about improvements? Apart from the old building, there are some costly new buildings; the public have a right as well as a duty to see for themselves that their! taxes have been wisely spent on these and other improve- j ments. “A number of voluntary or-[ ganisations give very’ welcome service to this hospital, j Their members speak to me J

about their work, and com-; ment that in helping our patients they find that many, of their own superstitions | and fears of mental illness! have been dispelled. They] find our patients to be little different from ordinary mem-1 bers of the community. Far' from deriving ‘cheap amusement’ one would expect that members of the public would register a similar reaction. “Not quite all our wards and dayrooms will be open to the public, out of consideration for some of our patients who would not wish this. The majority of patients however, welcome visitors to the hospital—they certainly do not like to feel ignored and forgotten by the community of which they are members. “1 would like to thank ‘Retired Nurse’ who in your column has corrected me in pointing out that there was in fact an open day a few years ago. She comments that this was not well attended. I concur in her hopes that on this occasion the public will show greater interest.” Dr. Hall said.

Booksellers’ Officers.—Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Westland Booksellers, Newsagents and Stationers’ Association were: President, Mr i G Tait; secretary, Mr J. Bliss; treasurer, Mr G. Hedges; auditor, Mr H. Teplitzky; magazine committee. Miss C. Crosbie, Messrs Teplitzky and |T. Ayres.