ANXIETY IN LIFE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1935, Page 14 (Supplement)

ANXIETY IN LIFE

LORD ALLEN ON ITS EFFECTS. i MEDICAL PREVENTIVE “The preventive work l of medical science in the sphere of mental wellbeing will do more to protect democracy by giving us h nation of healtnyminded citizens than anything we politicians can do through the Statute Book,’’ said Lord Allen of Hurtwood, at a luncheon <rf the Institute of Medical Psychology, at London, recently, states the Daily Telegraph. Modern life, with its increasing speed of development, and its profound economic distress, was bearing hardly upon the human mind. Anxiety was rin allpervading'characteristic of our time. It was estimated that one person out of every 13 was suffering from nervous maladjustment, and one-third of the amount expended in health insurance benefits was necessitated by the troubles due to nerve strain or mistakes in the early training of our population. It was stated that poverty was the cause of nervous maladjustmerit. Much of it was, but a lot of it was not. I belong to the House of Lords,” he added. “I have not seen any signs of economic distress there, but I think that all of us who occupy seats in that House may be said to suffer from signs of mental maladjustment.” The medical profession was attaching far more importance than ever before to the subject of mental health, and it was probable that no development during the King’s reign would deserve, a higher place in order of importance than the new attitude ' of medical science to mental health; Dictators see the importance of the child,” said Lord Allen. “Democrats,must do the same. “Liberty and compassion in the art of government are being challenged throughout the world. Britain can help to lead the world back to democracy by .giving increasing attention to the mental /health of her future citizens.” Dr. J. R. Rees, medical director of the institute, said that he was glad to observe that ■ those doctors who devoted their lives to a study of medical psychology and to the alleviation of mental sickness by such methods were no longer regarded as cranks. The results of 500 cases referred by the Courts to the institute were not so good aS/the proportion of 60 per cent, of voluntary patierits permanently relieved or cured. The man who came for treatment of his own free will would certainly do better than the man who regarded his treatment as part of his sentence from the Court.

Sir Henry Brackenbury, chairman of the council, speaking at the annual meeting, said that there was still a good deal of lack of understanding and want of appreciation of the institute's work, both among the medical profession and that-section of the public in social welfare.

“There is clearly room, especially in some populous provincial centres, for the establishment of other institutes conducted upon our own lines,” he continued, “but it may lead to some bewilderment of the public mind and some undesirable dissipation of effort if a number of organisations or clinics become established with closely analogous if not identical aims, within a limited area or appealing to approximately the same public for support. It is a danger to be watched.”