News and Notes
Courses for Medical Officers
Week-end Course. During the week-end of March 13th, a Conference on Problems connected with Retarded and Difficult Children was arranged by the C.A.M.W. for School Medical Officers working in London and the Home Counties.
Lectures were given by Dr Frank Bodman (Deputy Director of the Bristol Child Guidance Clinic), Miss L. G. Fildes (Administrative Officer of the Child Guid- ance Training Unit, Oxford), and Miss Ruth Thomas (Educational Psychologist, C.A.M.W.), and there was, in addition, a Case Conference by Members of the Bristol Child Guidance Clinic team.
The students testified enthusiastically to the help they had received from the Course and asked whether it would be possible to follow it up by holding discussion groups from time to time?a question which has been referred for consideration by the appropriate Com- mittee of the Provisional National Council for Mental Health.
Course on Mental Deficiency. The 24th annual course on Mental Deficiency, arranged in co-operation with the University of London Extension and Tutorial Classes Council, was held at the London School of Hygiene from May 10th to 21st.
Fifty-eight medical officers from all parts of the country attended, and in addition to lectures, instruction was given in mental testing under the direction of Miss L. G. Fildes, made possible, as in former years, through the facilities generously provided by the Acton and Willesden Education Authorities.
The Provisional Council has now taken over responsi- bility for this as for other courses previously run by the C.A.M.W.
Courses for Teachers and Work of Educational Psychologists
London. During the week-end of February 6th, a Refresher Course was held in London for teachers who had previously attended one of the Ten Weeks’ Courses which before the war were organized annually by the Central Association for Mental Welfare, or one or more of the Short Courses organized by the Association for the Board of Education.
The subject under discussion was, ” How and Why Children Differ from One Another ” and the lectures were given by the C.A.M.W.’s Educational Psycho- logists (Miss Ruth Thomas and Miss Norah Gibbs) and by Dr Alan Maberly, Medical Director of the Child Guidance Council.
The 37 teachers who attended were enthusiastic about the help received, and the fact that they came from all parts of the country bore testimony to their eagerness for courses of the kind and to the need they felt f?r conferring together.
Cambridgeshire. A series of lectures on Methods of Teaching Backward Children is being given in eight ? centres during the present term by a C.A.M.W- Educational Psychologist, to teachers employed the Cambridgeshire Education Authority, with special reference to the needs of rural teachers. This is one ot the activities taken over from the C.A.M.W. for which the Provisional National Council for Mental Health will be responsible.
Hertfordshire. An Educational Psychologist (MisS Gibbs) was recently loaned to the Hertfordshire Educa- tion Authority for a month’s service in the schools to investigate and advise upon the problem of backwardness. Shropshire. During the winter term, 1943, one of the C.A.M.W.’s Educational Psychologists (Miss Gibbs)? carried out an interesting piece of work arising out of some preliminary experimental activities in the county in the previous summer. In two periods of a fortnight each, individual visits were paid to selected schools t? advise on the teaching of backward children and the treatment of individual differences in learning a/1” behaviour. Altogether 25 schools were visited, including a number of village schools, many helpful discussions about their problems and difficulties were held with teachers, and recommendations were made to the Education Authority as to the possibilities of a con- structive ” follow-up ” of work which had abundantly demonstrated its need and value.
As a result of this experiment, the Authority has decided to appoint at a later date a permanent psycho- logist on its staff, an appointment which has been accepted by Miss Gibbs.
Wallasey. A three months’ psychological survey was made, at the request of the Wallasey Education Authority during the winter term, 1943, by a C.A.M.W- Educational Psychologist (Miss Proctor), for the purpose of investigating the need for a School Psychological Service with special reference to the problems of back- wardness and behaviour difficulties.
It is satisfactory to be able to record that the result of the survey was the appointment of Miss Proctor as permanent Psychologist on the Education Authority s staff.
West Ham. A month’s preliminary enquiry is being carried on in this area by an Educational Psychologist (Miss Sampson) loaned to the Education Authority who are anxious to provide evidence as to the need for the establishment of a Child Guidance Clinic.
tct 1 re- Regular weekly attendances at even short ,? -Vre. courses are difficult in rural areas. At the for 10n the Wiltshire Education Authority, there- j e’ a one-day ” School ” was held at Trowbridge in v. ,Va^y> and a Residential Week-end Course near M^sham in April.
g ,n both occasions, the subject was the Education of that h3r<^ Children and an attempt was made to show for t warc^ness is a problem for children as well as on ‘^^lers- 1? January, Miss Gibbs gave two lectures anH ,,?he Causes of Backwardness ” and on ” How (Re Children Learn to Read,” and Miss Howarth c gl?pal Representative of the Provisional National ChMH01^ ^0r Mental Health) lectured on ” The Backward a ‘Wat Home In April, to’these three lectures were cini two ^ Dr Bodman on ” The Problem of Dis- P ine and Obedience ” and ” The Needs of the Young ” Tv,?ent anc* Miss Gibbs gave a final talk on ne Backward Child in the Ordinary Class it v/eSe- ‘ectures were enthusiastically received and tea ,as, interesting and encouraging to note that the eVen jr s interest in children’s general development was deeper than their concern with teaching techniques. C Educational Psychologists on the staff of the C0|’ ,-W. are now seconded to the Provisional National Tra- 91’ for Mental Health and are responsible to its lning and Education Committee.
^?Th ^erVice t? War Nurseries Serv ^emand for Nursery Advisers under the Loan gpn 1Ce scheme instituted by the Mental Health Emer- j^atCy Committee and now transferred to the Provisional 10nal Council through the Joint Committee on A n Service to Nurseries, is steady and unabating. (erJ”In8 the period December 1942 to March 1943, short Nu c ? n? were made to 12 Authorities covering 26 0f ^Ser’es in London and the Home Counties, and loans Glo months or longer were made to Authorities in v^hj,Uce?tershire and in the North-Eastern counties, visit i ‘n Lancashire a number of Nurseries are being Coi ? a ^oan worker attached temporarily to the I ncil’s Regional Representative.
^ent a^^’tion’ a number of lectures on Child Develop- ment’ uanc* Demonstrations on the use of Play Equip- an^i ave been given to Nursery workers, professional an? voluntary.
bein Va’u? salvaSe niaterial in this connection, is Com? ‘.n8eniously and divertingly demonstrated by the alv ,ttee’s staff, but it is difficult for them to have ?n band a supply large enough to meet the grataP^’ ar)d the help of readers of this journal will be ?fth ^ received. The following list gives some idea ne type of material required:
Cotton reels. Corks. Stoppers and lids r?m glass or plastic jars, tins, etc. Tins of all descriptions (preferably with turned edges), j-urtain rings. Cosmetic and shaving cream jars. Meat skewers (wood or metal). Cigar and cigarette boxes. Books of sample wallpapers, materials, etc. Christmas cards, illustrated magazines and catalogues. ” Scrap ” pictures. Discarded umbrellas. Artificial flowers, scarves, oddments for dressing up. Jewellery oddments, beads, Christmas cracker toys, etc. Old hand- bags.
Creels should be addressed to the Provisional National J”?,, 24 Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.I, clearly marked ” Loan Service to Nurseries “. t Mental Health Education in Rural Areas A report of the Rural Mental Health Education Committee, on the scheme carried out by means of an award of ?250 made by the Central Council for Health Education to the three bodies now constituting the National Provisional Council for Mental Health, shows, that in 1942, a total of 72 lectures on ” Understanding Ourselves and our Children ” was given in the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Yorkshire. The audiences largely consisted of members of Women’s Institutes, Women’s Co-operative Guilds, Child Welfare Centres, etc., and in the majority of areas, the whole series of four lectures was requested and received with great appreciation.
In order to enable the Committee to meet further requests for the lectures, the Central Council generously made a supplementary award of ?100 to cover an ex- tended period.
It is hoped that lectures on similar lines may also be given to audiences in urban areas, although for these it will be necessary to ask a small fee, as no funds are available.
A New Type of Youth Leaders’ Course This Course, held at Fishponds Training College, Bristol, from April 10th to 13th, was arranged by the Youth Committee of the Provisional National Council for Mental Health, under the auspices of the Bristol Youth Committee.
It was in many respects an experimental venture, aiming at giving to Youth Leaders not direct help in the running of Clubs, but some insight into the general psychological needs and problems of adolescents and their leaders. The work involved in the whole scheme might be considered as falling into three parts?(a) preliminary interviews, (b) the Course and (c) the subsequent “follow-up”.
Mrs. Zena Roth (Youth Organizer of the Provisional National Council) visited Bristol Clubs, in preparation for the Course, and interviewed some 30 Club Leaders. The Course itself, under the general direction of Miss Gibbs (Educational Psychologist), consisted of lectures and discussions on psychological development given by Dr Bodman, Miss Howarth (Regional Representative of the Provisional Council), and Miss Gibbs. This “background knowledge” was followed by talks and discussions led by persons who saw Youth in settings other than Clubs. Thus in a session, “Youth at Home,” a mother gave her view of her growing family, a psychiatric social worker spoke on family relationships, and a housing estate manager on the life of Youth as observed by her on a large estate. In the ” Youth at Work ” session, the speakers were a foreman member of the A.E.U., two personnel managers, and a member of the Bristol branch of the Ministry of Labour. Throughout the Course, discussion was lively and to the point, and the members seemed anxious and able to consider the essential question: “What are the Needs of Adolescents ? “
A ” follow-up” which has been arranged as an essential part of the scheme, will consist of visits, after three months, to Clubs whose Leaders attended the Course and a general meeting of all concerned for discussion upon it. This ” follow-up ” is in no sense scientific, but it should indicate (a) what kind of help was received by the students and (A) what further problems and possibilities were suggested to them by the Course.
Homes and Agricultural Hostels
Responsibility for the Hostels?together with the C.A.M.W.’s Emergency Homes for low-grade defectives and for its Residential Nursery at Pewsey (carried on for the Ministry of Health, in co-operation with the Waifs and Strays’ Society to meet the needs of children who have proved too ” difficult ” to be dealt with in ordinary Nurseries), now passes to the Homes and Hostels Committee of the Provisional National Council for Mental Health, with the reservation that the C.A.M.W. continues to have sole financial control.
The Committee has agreed to open a fifth Hostel for men on Licence from Certified Institutions, at the request of the Hampshire War Agricultural Executive Committee who hope to acquire suitable premises near Winchester. This will be the second Hostel in the County. There is also a prospect of an additional Hostel in Shropshire, and all the Agricultural Executive Committees concerned continue to express appreciation of the value of the work done by this group of workers.
?*’ New World ” Hostel for Difficult Boys This Hostel?made possible by means of a gift from the English Speaking Union through the kindness of a Canadian citizen, Mrs. Sholto Smith?was opened in January 1943 for eleven boys between the ages of 5 and 11 in need of prolonged psychiatric treatment.
Despite difficulties of staffing, common to all residential homes at the present time, a successful beginning has been made and the boys now in the Hostel have settled down happily and are responding to treatment. Two excep- tionally difficult children sent on trial only proved to be unable to adapt to the informal regime and for their problems other solutions have had to be found. The Hostel has been approved by the Board of Educa- tion for the reception of children under Section 80(1) of the Education Act, 1921, and the majority of cases are maintained by Local Education Authorities. It has been visited by Inspectors both of the Board and of the Home Office.
The children are referred for various specific difficul- ties, the most frequent being persistent eneuresis and soiling, and violent temper tantrums. Each child receives treatment twice a week at Guy’s Hospital Child Guidance Clinic, and all the children attend the local Elementary School from whose staff, helpful and willing co-operation is received.
It has been difficult to procure for the Hostel an adequate supply of play equipment, and gifts of toys, games and books suitable for boys between the ages of 7 and 11, would be gratefully received by the Warden, New World Hostel, 66 Ashburton Road, Croydon.
Child Guidance Clinics
1942 has been a peak year for the establishment of Clinic services and 14 new Clinics have been opened. There are now full services for the counties of Somerset and Berkshire, and in north Surrey, at Aylesbury, East Grinstead, Harrow, High Wycombe and Preston, and at the Mayday Hospital, Croydon. Partial services are newly in operation at Chesterfield, Norwich and at the Warneford Hospital, Leamington Spa.
The Clinics at Great Ormond Street Hospital and at the London Hospital re-opened during the year and have helped to relieve the pressure on the other London Clinics.
The development of the County Clinic is being watched with very great interest and enquiries as to the method of setting up this type of service are being received by the Child Guidance Council from all parts of England. The Berkshire Clinic which was established in conjunc- tion with the Mental Hospitals Committee of the county, issued a report of its first six months’ work, copies of which may be obtained from the Council.
Fellowships in Psychiatry
Three Fellows awarded Fellowships in Psychiatry by the Child Guidance Council began training this yeai’: Dr Louise Devlin at the Child Guidance Training Centre, Dr Helen Gillespie at the Maudsley Hospita’ Clinic, and Dr Elizabeth Whatley at the Tavistock Clinic. Further Fellowships have been awarded 10 Dr Elizabeth Huband and to Dr K. Mellett, and an advertisement for yet one more vacancy will appeaf within the next few months.
Child Guidance Council
The activities of the Child Guidance Council?-in common with those of the other two constituent bodies^ have been transferred to the Provisional National Council for Mental Health. They will be carried on by the Child Guidance Committee and by the Inter- Clinic Committee which, in spite of the absence of many of the leading Child Psychiatrists, it has been possible to re-constitute.
Adoption of Children (Regulation) Act, 1939 This Act comes into force on June 1st, 1943. In this connection the National Council for Maternity and Child Welfare in conjunction with the National Council f?r the Unmarried Mother and her Child has set up a Special Committee to keep a watching brief on its working- Miss R. S. Addis has been appointed to represent Mental Health interests on the Committee.
National Council for Mental Hygiene
j. H.R.h. The Duchess of Kent. The National Council or Mental Hygiene has great pleasure in announcing nat H.R.h. The Duchess of Kent has graciously con- snted to become its President in succession to the late th Kent. Members will be happy to know that by “‘s valued association, Her Royal Highness will continue t,e ‘ate Duke’s tradition of keen interest in the work of ^Council and support of its ideals.
Lord” Memorial Essay Prize Competition. The Prize of ?3 3s. and a medal for the 1942 essay has been yarded to Staff Nurse Tom Catherall, of County uental Hospital, Chester, who is now serving with H M. Forces.
^ 1 ms annual competition, which is administered by the Clonal Council for Mental Hygiene, is open to ch” r Catec* mental nurses> ?f the rank of staff, charge or of’^harge, employed in Mental Hospitals. The subject . the essay set for last year was ” Which reform in ental Nursing would you put first in Post-War Recon- duction, and why ? ” Thirty-two candidates entered r the competition. The Selection Committee reports t. at the essays received were of a high standard, and that ve ?ai?didates were agreed on certain measures which in? ‘PProve the life of both patients and staff, includ- inf ac^’tional facilities for occupational therapy, and the Reduction of more nurses with general training, l he winning essay will appear in the next issue of thE*TAL Health, and arrangements have been made for ~ ? Nursing Mirror to publish later a precis of the various entries.
On page 8 of the current number will be found an say by staff” Nurse J. H. Giddins, who was awarded ^Prize under this competition for 1941.
fo International Centre. The National Council r Mental Hygiene has arranged a series of six lectures i Post-war mental health problems at the Friends’ j^rnational Centre, London, W.C.I, which started on 19th, and will continue fortnightly on Wednesdays all h P”m-’ er)ding on July 28th. The lectures are for in natiorials, social workers and others interested Ds ^ nta’ Health, and include discussion on the st ych?l0gical effects of malnutrition and of a lowered re& hving, the effects of living under a Nazi-type gime, and the contribution of Youth to post-war Construction.
8oyie’ he speakers are Dr Alexander Baldie, Dr Helen Mu ^r’ Brown, Dr Crichton-Miller, Dr Lois Dr vi0 anc* Or. Odium, and the meetings are being of n! .over hy Mr. Christopher B. Taylor, Chairman the Friends’ War Relief Service.
Workshop for Epileptics
‘n thCr since the C.A.M.W.’s work for epileptics living of th .Community began, it has been apparent that one p their most urgent needs could only be met by the conH1-S^?n employment under specially suitable to ? i?ns; but only recently has it been possible to come grips with this particular problem.
and Tr?ugh the generosity of the Committees of Chalfont 0j> r.~^’ngfield Colonies and of individual donors, a sum f0r . is now available for the experiment and search . suitable premises in a convenient neighbourhood is ” nS actively carried on.
Marriage of Defectives
A Circular (No. 927), issued by the Board of Control in February, draws attention to the increasing number of defectives subject to Orders under the Mental Defici- ency Acts who have recently married, or who are about to marry, and outlines?for the benefit of Local Authori- ties?the policy which the Board considers they should adopt in dealing with the problem.
Whilst agreeing, in principle, that mental defectives are generally unfit for the responsibility of marriage and parenthood and urging that care should be taken in selecting patients to be sent out on Licence from Institu- tions to ensure that their surroundings are suitable and that adequate supervision is provided, the Board never- theless take the view that:
where a patient who has been regarded as sufficiently stabilized for community care is found to be married, the presumption is in favour of dis- charge, provided always that there is ground for holding that the couple will be able to maintain and look after a home.
And that: the recall of a patient to, or detention in, a certi- fied institution after marriage, is never justified, on the grounds of marriage alone.
It is considered that such recall, except in really urgent cases and after the fullest possible investigation, will be likely to bring the Mental Deficiency Acts into bad repute with the general public and to put a serious barrier in the way of developing mental health work in the area concerned.
Fear has been expressed in some quarters that the Circular may have disastrous effects in that its recom- mendations may lead to the further propagation of mentally defective children, who?in the post-war period?will swell the ranks of the unemployables, On the whole, however, the policy advocated by the Board would seem to be a reasonable and practical one, always provided that emphasis is laid on the necessity for providing full and adequate information as to the home conditions of the defectives concerned, and that Local Authorities can be assured that such reports will be given due consideration by the Board. On this proviso, stress has been laid by the appropriate Com- mittee of the Provisional National Council for Mental Health whose resolution on the matter has been firmly endorsed by the C.A.M.W. Council.
Elfrida Rathbone Committee
This Committee is a voluntary body initiated by that devoted and indefatigible worker, Miss Elfrida Rathbone, which for a number of years (originally under the name of the Lilian Gregg Committee) has carried on work for defectives in the Islington, Finsbury and Hoxton districts of North London. It has just issued another Annual Report containing an account of many activities, including Clubs for ex-Special School girls and boys, Care Committee work for a re-opened Boys’ Special School, visits to defectives in evacuated school parties, and much individual service of various kinds given by a Secretary who is unsparing in her befriending of this group of handicapped children and adolescents to whom friendship is essential for security and happiness.
The Committee would value more voluntary help, even if only for two or three hours a week, and offers of such service will be gladly received by the Secretary, Miss Beth Whetnall, Elfrida Rathbone Committee, Ritchie School, Liverpool Road, N.l.
Aycliffe Home Office School
The opening of this School with its special ” Classify- ing Centre ” is an important step forward recently taken by the Home Office through its Children’s Branch, which presages future developments of great signifi- cance?as Dr Hermann Mannheim points out in a recent issue of the Approved Schools Gazette.
To the School?situated near Darlington?will be sent, in the first instance, all boys committed from Courts in Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire. In its Classifying Department, every newcomer will be placed for a short period under skilled observation, and it will then be decided for which School serving the area his personality and educational attainments make him most suitable. If it is discovered that some deep psychological trouble is involved in the boy’s problem, arrangements will be made for psychiatric treatment before transfer is contemplated.
A similar Classifying Centre for girls (over school age) will shortly be opened at the Shaw School, near Warring- ton, to serve the Northern area.
The scheme is as yet in its early experimental stage so that no report can be made on it, but it is likely to disclose a wealth of information which may reveal the need for the opening of Schools of quite new types.
Association of Mental Health Workers The Association’s Annual Conference held at the Bonnington Hotel, Southampton Row, London, during the week-end of May 7th to 9th, was attended by 101 members from all parts of the country. Addresses were given by Miss Evelyn Fox, on the Provisional National Council for Mental Health; by Dr Douglas Turner on Developments in Institutional and Extra- Institutional Care of Mental Defectives, and by Dr. D. W. Winnicott on Childhood and Mental Health Problems. An Exhibit of Play Equipment for War Nurseries, improvised from salvage material, aroused great interest.
Miss F. H. Tosh was re-elected Chairman of the Association, Mrs. Lucy Beach as Vice-Chairman, Miss St.Clair Townsend as Secretary, and Miss J. M. Mackenzie as Joint Hon. Treasurer with Miss M. K. Sykes (in place of Miss de Caux who was obliged to resign).
The success of the Conference demonstrated how great is the need felt by workers to meet together and how encouraged they are by such meetings.
Social Welfare for Allied Nationals Under the auspices of the British Council, Courses in Social Welfare are given at intervals for the benefit of members of the Allied Nations now in London, who will, on return to their own countries, have a part to play in social reconstruction.
The Mental Health Emergency Committee (now the Provisional National Council) was asked to arrange for a series of lectures on various aspects of Mental Health work, and these are being given as we go to press, by members of its staff assisted by Miss L. G. Fildes, Dr. Frank Bodman and Professor Ginsberg.
As on a previous occasion, great appreciation of the lectures has been expressed by the students, all of whom are eager to learn of our methods of dealing with these special problems which in an intensified form, are likely to present themselves for solution in every war ravaged country.
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