MENTAL WELFARE

107

Evacuation and Mental Health Problems Through its Educational Psychologists who have been working in Reception Areas ", and through teachers who have reported their personal experiences, the C.A.M.W. has already acquired abundant evidence of the existence of problems amongst the evacuated school population the solution of which would seem to need the contribution of the psychologist and the

"

Mental Health social worker can

as

well

that which other types of workers

as

make.

One correspondent?a Head Master who has specially concerned himself with the education of retarded children?writes : You and your organisation now "

have

wonderful chance of being useful", and urges the need for people of sympathetic understanding and vision to go round the countryside pressing, begging for, and organising welfare work of all kinds. The following extracts from a letter reporting his experiences in the remote village to which he, with his school, has been drafted, give a vivid picture of some of the difficulties with which evacuated teachers everywhere are now valiantly striving a

"

"

"

"

to deal. "

I have been greatly perturbed at the immense numbers of eneuretics. How much of this is due to the stress, maybe temporary, of change of home and environment it i.s difficult to say. Then again I had a child suddenly develop fits'?probably induced by his change of billet, and fear. Difficult (delinquent) children have been turned out of billets and dumped on my own doorstep." .

.

,

.

.

.

.

..." Something urgent had to be done for these unwanteds; I got house and grounds and put them there and now they are happy." .

.

a

spacious

.

"... There are children who are shy and distressed in cottage homes that old fashioned discipline lines. Either they cry and cry, or prove Yet most children tolerate their billets, and I aggressive and go home. suppose, so far, 50 per cent, would not go back if they could. Say 25 per cent are passably contented. 25 per cent, would go back at once, and of these, say 10 per cent, are definitely unhappy, uncared for, decidedly out of gear." are run on

.

.

.

...

he suggests, on the management of children should be arranged for the benefit of these new and often bewildered foster-parents, and organisation for leisure is urgently needed. The opportunities are endless,

Talks

on

the

wireless,

"

"

if

the skilled and

experienced workers are forthcoming.

There was, of course, no means of accurately assessing beforehand the extent and nature of the problems which would arise in connection with an experiment of such magnitude, and some of them have proved to be far more acute than had been envisaged. Particularly is this the case with regard to

eneuresis,

a

disability which, however,

it

be borne in mind, does not under parents are naturally reluctant to

must

conditions make itself known as disclose its existence to doctors or social workers. Without further research, therefore, it is impossible either to arrive at any estimate of its prevalence under ordinary conditions, or to assess what proportion of it is due to the

ordinary

108

MENTAL

WELFARE

emotional disturbances created by evacuation. Evidence of the distress and friction which it is producing is abundant, but it is encouraging to read the report of one of the C.A.M.W.'s Educational Psychologists working in a

Reception Area, that in most cases in which her help had been sought, the foster-parents were being extremely sensible, often taking great pains to effect a cure. In nearly all cases, affection for the child had overcome their spontaneous disgust." Referring to another of the mental health problems which is everywhere creating difficulties?viz., that of the frequent visiting of evacuated children by parents and relatives?this same worker writes of a scheme in one village where a comfortable meeting place has been set aside for visits, with facilities for tea, etc., provided by voluntary workers; this is one method by which, it is suggested, there may be alleviated the conditions of jealousy which arises when the parent, over-anxious to see her own child, is met by the obvious and natural affection of the child for the new foster-parent." "

"

"

"

The

need

referred to

by

"

difficult children" was for provision for the disposal of Board of Education in Circular 1469 (issued in May, 1939), the

suggested that local authorities should consider the possibility placing them in empty houses equipped for the purpose with a staff experienced in child guidance matters. In a Circular recently issued by the Ministry of Health, Public Health Services in the Receiving Ar.eas (No. 1882), the subject is again mentioned with the suggestions made by the Board, and Local Authorities are further reminded of the existence of special schools" willing to receive difficult children. As on reported page 105, the Mental Health Emergency Committee are devoting careful attention to this particular problem and have circularised Education Authorities making certain concrete proposals and offers of help in regard in which it

was

of

"

"

to

it.

"

Evacuation and Mental Health Problems.

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