The International a
Congress
London, August 11th
Two-and-a-half years have passed since the. National Association for Mental Health was asked to run international conferences in London by three separate bodies?the International Committee for Mental- Hygiene, the International Committee for Child Psychiatry and the International Federation for Medical Psychotherapy. After over two years of preparation, it seems hard to realize that the work of the Congress came to a successful conclusion last August and that the main task was accomplished. Comparatively little need be said about the two technical conferences on Child Psychiatry and on Psychotherapy. They both of them produced some useful papers and discussion which helped to clarify the main themes of aggression and guilt which they had selected. Those who attended them were, in the main, the same people as those attending the Conference on Mental Hygiene, and this meeting, which was the longest of the three, was also by far the most experimental and interesting. The Preparatory Commissions, of which there were some 350 in 27 different countries, were perhaps the most important part of the whole Congress activity. The reports from these interprofessional discussion groups were edited and integrated for the use of the International Preparatory Commission which met at Roffey Park for a fortnight prior to the Congress. Something of real importance has been done in bringing together people from different professions who hardly knew each other in many cases, who have now learnt to work together for a common goal and are in a great many instances continuing to do so. The International Preparatory Commission produced an agreed statement for the Congress, which also was a considerable achievement since it was hammered out by 25 mature men and women from
to
on
Mental Health
21st,
1948.
ten countries and
from ten different disciplines. The Congress therefore started with a certain sense of a common objective, and the Mental Hygiene Conference was coloured throughout by the interest in the preliminary work which had been done and by the fact that the second speaker at each of the plenary sessions was reporting on the work of the International Preparatory Commission. It is not remarkable that the inter-professional and inter-national groups which met with such enthusiasm throughout the Congress in London felt that their experience and work was perhaps the most useful part of the whole meeting. The Congress Bulletin, which had been issued during the year preceding the Congress, has had one issue since August and is to appear again in December, reproducing the various statements of these groups which met during the Congress and their comments on the International Preparatory Commission Statement. After December the Bulletin will be continued, and will be the first organ for international communication for the World Federation for Mental Health, to which reference is made
elsewhere.
Allowing for the 183 people who registered as members but never turned up, or at any rate never claimed their papers, but including 280 relatives of members who had registered as such and attended the Congress, there were 2,204 people in attendance at the meetings in Central Hall and Westminster School. Almost exactly 50 per cent, of this group came from overseas and from 54
countries; the from Great Britain. The organization was effective and the comments on this were almost universally a tribute to the Organizer and his staff, as well as'to the British The National Association, as the host as a group. for these three conferences, has certainly achieved balance
came
MENTAL HEALTH something of real value through the demonstration
of first-rate efficiency, and the toughest critics from overseas, from the press and from those used to
international meetings,
They
considerably impressed. the old lion put it, that
were
saw, as someone
"
Our own press was not very inspired in its handling of the Congress. The overseas press, and particularly that of the United States, was exceptionally good and productive. The press were allowed in for the whole of the Congress, even the technical conferences, and, with possibly one or two instances from our own country, there was no unsatisfactory or undesirable reporting of the technical meetings. The B.B.C. came in late to the proceedings, but eventually a considerable number of broadcasts went out. The European service produced the outstanding instance of co-operation and of realization of the importance of what we were attempting. There were many broadcasts over the American and Canadian networks. The specialist meetings, which were dealing with the particular interests of groups as apart from the general theme of the Congress, were very well attended, were interesting and enthusiastic. We owe considerable gratitude to the societies in London which made themselves responsible as
can move
hosts.
Under Lady Norman's able guidance, the social side of the Congress was extremely satisfactory,
and there
very few people who were fortunate be there who will readily forget the impression made by Sir Owen Morshead during the visit to Windsor Castle. It is extremely difficult to assess the results of such a Congress. The World Federation for
enough
were
to
45
Mental Health was brought into being, as also was the International Association for Child Psychiatry. Many old contacts were renewed for the first time since the war and a vast number of new contacts were established. Discussion groups in many places are continuing their work and new ones are coming into being. Reports are being given and special conferences organized to continue the discussion of the Congress topics in many countries throughout the world. UNESCO and the World Health Organization are both of them considering the recommendations contained in the International Preparatory Commission Statement and approved by the Congress as a whole. Men and women in various parts of the world are certainly rather more alive to the possibilities of the particular approach which this Congress was emphasizing. They realize, and are able to demonstrate to other people, that team work between social scientists and doctors is necessary for improved mental health. Most carry with them the conviction that human nature and social institutions also are capable of modification, and there is some evidence that people feel that this emphasis on mental health provides some new hope for a troubled world. How far all this may lead us in the future depends largely on how much we in this country and our friends and colleagues in other countries follow it up, and how seriously we work to broaden our outlook; deepen our knowledge and propagate our ideas. It is hoped that the printed proceedings of the Congress, which will appear in five separate volumes, will be available early in the New Year. R. Rees (President of the Congress).
Congress
London, August 11th
Two-and-a-half years have passed since the. National Association for Mental Health was asked to run international conferences in London by three separate bodies?the International Committee for Mental- Hygiene, the International Committee for Child Psychiatry and the International Federation for Medical Psychotherapy. After over two years of preparation, it seems hard to realize that the work of the Congress came to a successful conclusion last August and that the main task was accomplished. Comparatively little need be said about the two technical conferences on Child Psychiatry and on Psychotherapy. They both of them produced some useful papers and discussion which helped to clarify the main themes of aggression and guilt which they had selected. Those who attended them were, in the main, the same people as those attending the Conference on Mental Hygiene, and this meeting, which was the longest of the three, was also by far the most experimental and interesting. The Preparatory Commissions, of which there were some 350 in 27 different countries, were perhaps the most important part of the whole Congress activity. The reports from these interprofessional discussion groups were edited and integrated for the use of the International Preparatory Commission which met at Roffey Park for a fortnight prior to the Congress. Something of real importance has been done in bringing together people from different professions who hardly knew each other in many cases, who have now learnt to work together for a common goal and are in a great many instances continuing to do so. The International Preparatory Commission produced an agreed statement for the Congress, which also was a considerable achievement since it was hammered out by 25 mature men and women from
to
on
Mental Health
21st,
1948.
ten countries and
from ten different disciplines. The Congress therefore started with a certain sense of a common objective, and the Mental Hygiene Conference was coloured throughout by the interest in the preliminary work which had been done and by the fact that the second speaker at each of the plenary sessions was reporting on the work of the International Preparatory Commission. It is not remarkable that the inter-professional and inter-national groups which met with such enthusiasm throughout the Congress in London felt that their experience and work was perhaps the most useful part of the whole meeting. The Congress Bulletin, which had been issued during the year preceding the Congress, has had one issue since August and is to appear again in December, reproducing the various statements of these groups which met during the Congress and their comments on the International Preparatory Commission Statement. After December the Bulletin will be continued, and will be the first organ for international communication for the World Federation for Mental Health, to which reference is made
elsewhere.
Allowing for the 183 people who registered as members but never turned up, or at any rate never claimed their papers, but including 280 relatives of members who had registered as such and attended the Congress, there were 2,204 people in attendance at the meetings in Central Hall and Westminster School. Almost exactly 50 per cent, of this group came from overseas and from 54
countries; the from Great Britain. The organization was effective and the comments on this were almost universally a tribute to the Organizer and his staff, as well as'to the British The National Association, as the host as a group. for these three conferences, has certainly achieved balance
came
MENTAL HEALTH something of real value through the demonstration
of first-rate efficiency, and the toughest critics from overseas, from the press and from those used to
international meetings,
They
considerably impressed. the old lion put it, that
were
saw, as someone
"
Our own press was not very inspired in its handling of the Congress. The overseas press, and particularly that of the United States, was exceptionally good and productive. The press were allowed in for the whole of the Congress, even the technical conferences, and, with possibly one or two instances from our own country, there was no unsatisfactory or undesirable reporting of the technical meetings. The B.B.C. came in late to the proceedings, but eventually a considerable number of broadcasts went out. The European service produced the outstanding instance of co-operation and of realization of the importance of what we were attempting. There were many broadcasts over the American and Canadian networks. The specialist meetings, which were dealing with the particular interests of groups as apart from the general theme of the Congress, were very well attended, were interesting and enthusiastic. We owe considerable gratitude to the societies in London which made themselves responsible as
can move
hosts.
Under Lady Norman's able guidance, the social side of the Congress was extremely satisfactory,
and there
very few people who were fortunate be there who will readily forget the impression made by Sir Owen Morshead during the visit to Windsor Castle. It is extremely difficult to assess the results of such a Congress. The World Federation for
enough
were
to
45
Mental Health was brought into being, as also was the International Association for Child Psychiatry. Many old contacts were renewed for the first time since the war and a vast number of new contacts were established. Discussion groups in many places are continuing their work and new ones are coming into being. Reports are being given and special conferences organized to continue the discussion of the Congress topics in many countries throughout the world. UNESCO and the World Health Organization are both of them considering the recommendations contained in the International Preparatory Commission Statement and approved by the Congress as a whole. Men and women in various parts of the world are certainly rather more alive to the possibilities of the particular approach which this Congress was emphasizing. They realize, and are able to demonstrate to other people, that team work between social scientists and doctors is necessary for improved mental health. Most carry with them the conviction that human nature and social institutions also are capable of modification, and there is some evidence that people feel that this emphasis on mental health provides some new hope for a troubled world. How far all this may lead us in the future depends largely on how much we in this country and our friends and colleagues in other countries follow it up, and how seriously we work to broaden our outlook; deepen our knowledge and propagate our ideas. It is hoped that the printed proceedings of the Congress, which will appear in five separate volumes, will be available early in the New Year. R. Rees (President of the Congress).
