MENTAL DISORDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 10

MENTAL DISORDERS.

, BORDER- LINE CASES*

(BETTER PROVISION URGED.

SEPARATE INSTITUTIONS.

CLERGY WAIT ON MINISTER.

'■'■ A"■'■■■■suggestion that, better - provision . should be made for ; the reception and treatment ;of "border-line" or incipient cases, of mental disorder wa3 made to the Hon. '■■ C, J. Parr, Minister in Charge of '. Mental Hospitals, yesterday, by a depui tation comprising Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist "■■ and- Baptist • ministers, ,' and : ; supported/'by citizens and the Salvation j ';, •'Army. " ' , ■.... : .,": . - ' ', ..',.■".. The deputation was introduced by the j Rev. : A. S. Wilson, who Baid there. was a very real need for an institution of the. kind suggested for the care and treatment of those for whom there was hope , : fn the early stages of their complaint. -' It was inconceivable that the very best - ■ methods should not be adopted in - this very important matter, as they felt that '■. lunacy was 'on the increase.'.,.; r They did not desire to reflect on the present departmental administration, but to make a simple request to have the Dominion placed ,on the same ;plane; in connection with- the- treatment of incipient insanity as other forward; countries. ; ,/,;','. The ; R6'\\ Jasper Calder "as/iured'the Minister that this was a citizens' movement, although ;ho was glad to say the churches were taking the lead..;; He cited instances which came under his notice.,as a missioned of children who came, before ~,....;.- magistrates , and,.-"were'v not subjects -tor either gaol; or the mental hospital, but . were I mentally weak. . If , a suitable institution ■':' were provided there would; be many . volunteer workers available'; to help v. in some form of constructive work, but they ;'could .'hot;: do anything until -' the ; Government gave a lead. 'If, how over, the. Minister: thought that this was not a Government matter,; he believed, ' and . this .was" a private view, that a syndicate ; ~ • of public-spirited men might take up the ' proposal if: recognised and possibly subsidised by the State. ; -'He and his fellow- ■).. Bocial.woK'era, know that there was. a general desire for -such an institution. v Confidence in Administration. The Rev. L. H. Hunt said the deputa- : tion had.entire confidence in the; adminis- • ' tration of'the mental .hospitals.; ,"" , /■■:■• The: Minister said he was glad to hear . this,', lor, ''.from his .experience three years as.a Minister he was Sure .we had very 'efficient: staffs finf these' institutions, ■ actuated, by nothing but the highest motives. *". , : ;'■■■, . : Continuing, ..Mr.;. Hunt; said every effort '" " was .'. made to ; restore the; patients, ;. but '•they felt, there should be, adequate safe- :■'" guards' before committal. :.yyy'±y, • ;2_; : The Rev. A. : Anstice' and Mr. J. F. W. Dickson 'also spoke in support, the latter ."- mentio , ning ,J 'tho:: need for; some such treat- > ment a number :'of the -r returned c soldiers and assuring the Minister that there ,r was a feeling behind this movement that /. would', astonish him. . ; " . ■'?"■ The r ' Rev. Percy Knight instanced; the ■"''■'•'private.' nursing homes as in use in Victoria, ; and said that J if the ; Government would'"give: a lead, private ;• enterprise :•■"/'. ;■ would see".an - I .' opening. There werel | some who would welcome the private home, as patients of such institutions 'wonM escape the stigma of being classed. as insane. .' The .Government's Policy. The ; Minister; replying to the deputation, said that personally, he was heartily '. ' '■. in accord with the suggestion • that there ;;C should always be some form ' of ; reception home '■'. apart from the mental hospitals ■•:'■;• -where, cases'classed' -as -■ border-line could be dealt with. From some of the remarks : . of "the deputation it-mightbeinferred that nothing of the kind was being done in the/Dominion. ; The Government's policy In this, matter was laid down some years ago, and he saw no reason' to disagree .' ■•' with it if properly carried out. The ;: .: policy ;; was / that ; 5 there'' should':; be ;=;" homes separate" from the mental institutions, but "■■•: under the care of the skilled {alienist; and staff of the main institution, for the reception and £ treatment '•'■. of:;. ! cases of incipient insanity and voluntary -boarders. "v - The system was working, admirably in the V J: South : ; Island. 'At /the; Auckland ; Mental J : Hospital : the; Wolfe Bequest; Hospital had been /.intended' for this very : purpose, and '■ was;; capable. of :■■ accommodating ;40; .-pa-' ' tients— 20 'of; each sax. 'It was separated .' ; from i the main hospital; and;: eminently ' 'suitable^'for; the purpofie. However, the •;; war intervened, and the original purpose = " was abandoned in': favour of the soldiers ;.■' who needed treatment. ;; The soldiers were : now out and the building was. being occupied by convalescent women patients who! .;; ■ were trustworthy. The; building ■ needed, considerable renovation and: furnishing 1 before it could be returned to its original use'. - ■ ['■ ' Restoring Wolfe Hospital. . : * Mr. . Parr ;said ho would; not have ; time on this -occasion to visit the home, but he : -~ expected to be back in Auckland in about two weeks, and would be glad if the: members ;of the , ; deputation would accom- , pany, him on -his;visit, to the institution, ;-■;■■ when they could make ; snme definite; suggestions for improvements. : Mr. Parr said excellent curative work was being dono ■ in tho reception ; homes. Of 210 patients -: •■ received ;in one : year, only 11 ultimately ; became, These figures . seemed to > indicate that; the officers of tho ; depart-; ■:-.-.'■■. ment wore /giving,- excellent treatment -to these : ; incipient cases. The department :■":■'' was now getting the Wolfe iHospital re;; : stored; as' quickly. as j possible, and the ex- . penditure .; of ; K3BOO : had already been -■,-'■•'/ authbrisodj..* If it : was found they had ' more /cases than they could reasonably ■.-' ; accbmmod'ftte the ; buildings would JhvvV to bo extended. .. . i Y-Tb. catch up with the leeway; lost dur-1 ;.;; ing; the .war they were ; now proceeding j with the additions to the main structure. • Anew, female ward ;as ; up-to-date as any- ■'-;: thing in Australia had been established, .•:.■-.. and:? the Government '; was alive to -the ; necessity of making the surroundings" and ■;;.-'•■ general aspect of the institution as cheerful as possible.; Quoting a report by Dr. ;':■•;F. Hay, Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, the Minister mentioned that the; recovery, rate of ordinary patients: wast . highly satisfactory 43 per cent, calculated on the admissions.' j

Privileges Abused. Incidentally, the Minister mentioned that lie did not altogether favour the idea of ; privato homes as the privileges given to • such institutions had been abused in too many instances in the past. The Government institutions might have many disabilities, but they wero in every way Baler for the general public. ; . " Reverting to the. question of the treatment of incipient cases, ', Mr. Parr said the Government was keen to get at the beginning' of this matter and prevent curable cases from reaching the mental hospitals. The Government was not only sympathetic, but- was now doing the job. He would like to .see accommodation pro* vided for women apart from the Wolfe Home, for observation purposes and for the reception" of voluntary hoarders. He thought that some such policy was necessary, /that even in the present circumstances : the Government would find the money for an extension if the responsible officers advised that it was required. Nothing would be wanting on his part in the matter of giving the so-called bor-der-line cases the best possible scientific treatment. In thanking the Minister for his sympathetic reception of the views of "the deputation, and for his invitation to visit the Auckland institution, Mr. Wilson said he wished, to dissociate himself from the utatement that they had no wish to find fault' • with'"' the present administration of mental hospitals. " , Such an attitude might prejudice them in any future, requests for improvements. ■ The. Minister said that too much light could not bo ; thrown upon :. any Government department, and he was glad to iave such''assistance from public men,