MENTAL CASES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 30 May 1930, Page 8

MENTAL CASES

HOSPITAL CLINIC

EARLY TREATMENT

Several years ago an arrangement was made for a member or members of the Wellington Hospital medical staff and tho medical staff of tho Porirua Mental Hospital to hold clinics in respect to early nervous and mental cases. Theso clinics arc held on two ifternoons a week. In a report on the work of the clinic for the past year Dr. Williams (medical superintendent of tho Porirua Mental Hospital), says:— "Patients wero referred, to the psy•hiatric clinic for diagnosis, treatment or advice, from the Wellington Hospital, inpatients and outpatients; from the Pensions Department; from tho prisons—mainly delinquents and sexual cases; from tho Social Welfare League, and from private practitioners. In the latter connection it is interesting to note that during the period named patients were referred from Hastings, Akaroa, Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Palmerstoi* North, as well as Wellington. The remaining patients seen were those who came of their own accord; those who wero being .treated as outpatients; and finally those patients from my own hospita] who were on probation and who came on matters concerned with their probation or mental health, thus saving a trip out to Porirua. It will be readily seen then that knowledge concerning the objects of the clinic, is being disseminated widely. "During the'six months ending 31st March, 1930, a total of 314 consults, | tions were made. Over a hundred of these consisted of first interviews; 48 coming of their own volition, 16 from pensions, 10 from private practitioners, seven from prisons, 4 from Social Welfare, and 23 were inpatients at th* Wellington Hospital. '' "Regarding disposal of these, 10 wero treated as inpatients at tho Wellington Hospital and 27 were transferred to Porirua—ls as voluntary boarders, and 12 as committed cases. The remainder received outpatient treatment as required. . • CLASSES OP DISORDER. "The classes of mental disorder seen included almost every variety, though to be sure minor psychoses and neuroses such as anxiety states predominated. A fair number of mental defectives were seen, and grosser psychoses and organic states formed the main bulk of the committals to Porirua. Obviously then the psychiatric clinic serves at least a useful purpose in affording treatment and advice in the earlier stages of mental disorder. As the figures indicate, the greater proportion of'those seen have been enabled to carry on outside a mental hospital; indeed the relatively small number committed wero made up of those whose disorder had reached a stage where mental hospital treatment offered the only means > of therapy; those who came to Porirua as voluntary boarders nearly all did well, and be-.: cause of having had early treatment were saved the necessity of committal and perhaps even gross psychosis of permanent nature. This, too, was the case with many of those treated as outpatients. . A GREAT ADVANTAGE; "Another advantage of holding~the :linie. in a public hospital, and which cannot be stressed too much, is that j people.generally have a 'fear of mental I hospitals,' and of what association with them' may imply. Consequently, apart from the fact that treatment given at a general hospital is frequently better- ; thcrapeutifl&Uy, if only from the suggestive point of view, there is no uneasiness on the part of those appearing for examination, as general hospital i outpatient' departments are institutions ! known and_ understood hy all. The real facts concerning mental hospitals and their possibilities arc the more easily talked over and instilled too at a general hospital, and thus the too frequent premonitory uneasiness is overcome and 'he patient is at once in a much more favourable state mentally for treatment." ..'.'-.••. With reference to the. proposed'special provision for mental' cases Dr. Williams states that "tho" above indicates fairly clearly the numbers of people who do come for treatment and advice. It so happens, too,'that a proportion of these cannot bo diagnosed without observation and yet they "are not really suited for mental hospitals; or that inpatient treatment is necessary but iv such a form that cannot as yet be provided for in the administration of a general hospital. It is not desirable that these people be sent to mental hospital for this; but unfortunately in the present state of affairs it is frequently necessary to do so." . •