TEACHING AND LEARMINC MENTAL
sible, he said that it had shown we still had a long way to go. Wrong public attitudes were the greatest single hindrance to community care. A man who had had psychiatric hospital treatment was still suspect when he went to look for employment. Sixthform boys, expressing their conception of a psychiatric hospital, had used words such as "cold, clinical, frightensombre musty buildings with ing grim attendants", and "appalling sadness reaching out for help". We needed to make sure that there were some people who could tell others what services were available, and a growing proportion of the lay public who were able to recognise early symptoms of mental stress among,
Associations and Educathe theme of the Annual Meeting of Local Associations for Mental Health which was held on the morning of November 4th at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate. The speakers were Dr. N. A. Jepson, Lecturer in Criminology, Extra-Mural Department, Leeds University; Dr. Alex Gatherer, Deputy County M.O.H. of Northamptonshire; and Mr. Walter Fieldhouse, industrial public relations officer, formerly on the Yorkshire Post, and for many years personal assistant to the late Lord Feversham. "T OCAL
-L'tion"
HEALTH
was
...
down barriers about "Educating Ourselves", Dr. Jepson stressed the need to break down barriers to communication between different groups: between intellectuals and non-intellectuals, professionals and amateurs, and between different professional groups such as teachers, social workers and doctors. He emphasised that merely by enabling people to get together, Local Associations were helping towards an understanding of the prejudices and insecurities which make communication
Breaking
Speaking
f?rt
schoolchildren, industrial workers, and the elderly, and thus help instance,
to
prevent
severe
mental disorder from
developing. He wondered if psychopathology might not be taught as a school subject, and mentioned the
Gloucester scheme for teaching pel"' sonal relations in schools. Focal
difficult Dr. Jepson believed that members of Local Associations could profit from an apprenticeship type of education? the amateur learning through doing under the supervision of the professional. He suggested also that the Editor of Mental Health should let Associations know in advance the themes of forthcoming issues of the journal so that they might organise discussion groups on the same topics with guidance from professionals. Dr. Gatherer spoke of "Educating the Public", and stressed the need for mental disorder to be explained?it was, he said, the unexplained aspects which perpetuated the stigma. Explanations of what precisely community care meant were also urgently needed. Outlining the successful Northamptonshire Mental Health Education Project, for which he was largely respon-
points
Local Associations could act as focal points for mental health education, and could urge less progressive authorities to emulate schemes put forward by others who were more enterprising"The battle for mental health must be waged in the community," he said* "and the lay person has his part to
play." Advising Local Association mem* bers on "Co-operating with the Publicity Expert", Mr. Fieldhouse gave some practical tips. "Advertise your activities," he urged. "Enquire from your local public library, Health Department and Ministry of Labour about opportunities for putting yP posters, make personal contact with the editor of your local newspaper advertise in your local town guide or street directory, make sure the local
information bureau knows of any activities you are organising." Talking of press publicity, he urged
272
J-ocal he
Associations not to
complain
if
press printed unpalatable facts? 'hese must be changed, not suppressed.
Fieldhouse said that the mental health series were blamed on shortage of Workers, but he was sure that the young People of today were an untapped )?urce of willing, eager help if they i^ere allowed to contribute in their
Finally, Mr. ^any defects in
'own
way.
In the discussion which followed, Balniel said that though M.P.s J-.?rd ^'dn't appreciate immense sheaves of
educative ^xious
literature,
to be told of
they
were
all
that
was
anything
wrong in their constituencies and to do their best to set things right. Miss Mary Applebey referred to the large sums spent by the Canadian Government on mental health education, and put forward the suggestion that local authorities might be persuaded to finance projects, using local as their associations agents. Dr. Gatherer agreed that some authorities might welcome suggestions for such projects. "This is democracy," he pointed out, "and we can?in theory? get what we need. Health is purchasable and the community gets the health it deserves."
sible, he said that it had shown we still had a long way to go. Wrong public attitudes were the greatest single hindrance to community care. A man who had had psychiatric hospital treatment was still suspect when he went to look for employment. Sixthform boys, expressing their conception of a psychiatric hospital, had used words such as "cold, clinical, frightensombre musty buildings with ing grim attendants", and "appalling sadness reaching out for help". We needed to make sure that there were some people who could tell others what services were available, and a growing proportion of the lay public who were able to recognise early symptoms of mental stress among,
Associations and Educathe theme of the Annual Meeting of Local Associations for Mental Health which was held on the morning of November 4th at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate. The speakers were Dr. N. A. Jepson, Lecturer in Criminology, Extra-Mural Department, Leeds University; Dr. Alex Gatherer, Deputy County M.O.H. of Northamptonshire; and Mr. Walter Fieldhouse, industrial public relations officer, formerly on the Yorkshire Post, and for many years personal assistant to the late Lord Feversham. "T OCAL
-L'tion"
HEALTH
was
...
down barriers about "Educating Ourselves", Dr. Jepson stressed the need to break down barriers to communication between different groups: between intellectuals and non-intellectuals, professionals and amateurs, and between different professional groups such as teachers, social workers and doctors. He emphasised that merely by enabling people to get together, Local Associations were helping towards an understanding of the prejudices and insecurities which make communication
Breaking
Speaking
f?rt
schoolchildren, industrial workers, and the elderly, and thus help instance,
to
prevent
severe
mental disorder from
developing. He wondered if psychopathology might not be taught as a school subject, and mentioned the
Gloucester scheme for teaching pel"' sonal relations in schools. Focal
difficult Dr. Jepson believed that members of Local Associations could profit from an apprenticeship type of education? the amateur learning through doing under the supervision of the professional. He suggested also that the Editor of Mental Health should let Associations know in advance the themes of forthcoming issues of the journal so that they might organise discussion groups on the same topics with guidance from professionals. Dr. Gatherer spoke of "Educating the Public", and stressed the need for mental disorder to be explained?it was, he said, the unexplained aspects which perpetuated the stigma. Explanations of what precisely community care meant were also urgently needed. Outlining the successful Northamptonshire Mental Health Education Project, for which he was largely respon-
points
Local Associations could act as focal points for mental health education, and could urge less progressive authorities to emulate schemes put forward by others who were more enterprising"The battle for mental health must be waged in the community," he said* "and the lay person has his part to
play." Advising Local Association mem* bers on "Co-operating with the Publicity Expert", Mr. Fieldhouse gave some practical tips. "Advertise your activities," he urged. "Enquire from your local public library, Health Department and Ministry of Labour about opportunities for putting yP posters, make personal contact with the editor of your local newspaper advertise in your local town guide or street directory, make sure the local
information bureau knows of any activities you are organising." Talking of press publicity, he urged
272
J-ocal he
Associations not to
complain
if
press printed unpalatable facts? 'hese must be changed, not suppressed.
Fieldhouse said that the mental health series were blamed on shortage of Workers, but he was sure that the young People of today were an untapped )?urce of willing, eager help if they i^ere allowed to contribute in their
Finally, Mr. ^any defects in
'own
way.
In the discussion which followed, Balniel said that though M.P.s J-.?rd ^'dn't appreciate immense sheaves of
educative ^xious
literature,
to be told of
they
were
all
that
was
anything
wrong in their constituencies and to do their best to set things right. Miss Mary Applebey referred to the large sums spent by the Canadian Government on mental health education, and put forward the suggestion that local authorities might be persuaded to finance projects, using local as their associations agents. Dr. Gatherer agreed that some authorities might welcome suggestions for such projects. "This is democracy," he pointed out, "and we can?in theory? get what we need. Health is purchasable and the community gets the health it deserves."
