ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC MENTAL HOSPITALS: RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH (LOMAX) COMMITTEE.

The statistics on mental hospitals published by the Ministry of Health (1957) show that the average length of stay for admissions to mental hospitals decreased in the period 1952–1956. According to the Registrar-General's Mental Health Supplement (1961) there was an average saving, between 1951 and 1958, of sixteen days for men and thirteen days for women, among patients staying less than one year. But these figures for stay only relate to the patients discharged each year, irrespective of the year of their admission, and furthermore we do not know what happens to particular groups such, for example, as schizophrenics. Although remarkable changes are occurring at the present time, study of them is hampered by lack of appropriate and up-to-date information.

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A Review of Seven Years' Malarial Therapy in General Paralysis

Journal of Mental Science ◽

10.1192/bjp.78.323.843 ◽

1932 ◽

Vol 78 (323) ◽

pp. 843-866 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

W. D. Nicol

Keyword(s):

Great Britain ◽

Mental Hospital ◽

County Council ◽

Ministry Of Health ◽

General Paralysis ◽

Mental Hospitals

Shortly after the introduction of therapeutic malaria into this country, the Ministry of Health and the Board of Control, in consultation with the London County Council Mental Hospitals Department, established a special centre for this treatment at Horton Mental Hospital. A separate villa in the hospital grounds was set apart for the work, and, through the interest, advice and help of Col. S. P. James, M.D., F.R.S., of the Ministry of Health, a laboratory was equipped and arrangements were made for the supply of malarial infective material to all parts of Great Britain. The work was begun in April, 1925, and during the seven years that have elapsed since then, 200 cases have been treated. These cases are all women, drawn from the various London County Mental Hospitals; recently, however, an annexe has been added to the centre, and facilities are now available for treating men also.

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The Mental Hospital: A Pattern for the Future

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.113.501.857 ◽

1967 ◽

Vol 113 (501) ◽

pp. 857-864 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Orwin

Keyword(s):

Patient Population ◽

Mental Hospital ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Ministry Of Health ◽

Psychiatric Illnesses ◽

Mental Hospitals ◽

The Future

The great changes that have occurred in mental hospitals over the last fifteen years due to improvements in treatment of both acute and chronic psychiatric illnesses are reflected in the dramatic running down of the long-stay patient population. The Ministry of Health (1961) and Tooth and Brooke (1961) envisaged a continuing fall in the number of beds for psychiatric patients, so that by the mid 1970s these would have been reduced by nearly 50 per cent. from their 1960 figure (3·4 to 1·8 per thousand population). This prediction has been criticized because it was considered too optimistic, while the implication that the mental hospital, as we know it today, might cease to exist has provoked controversy.

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The Self-Referent Attitudes of Neurotic and Inadequate Personalities

Journal of Mental Science ◽

10.1192/bjp.108.452.37 ◽

1962 ◽

Vol 108 (452) ◽

pp. 37-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. B. Monro

Keyword(s):

Important Change ◽

The Self ◽

Sample Population ◽

Ministry Of Health ◽

Carl Rogers ◽

Registrar General ◽

Mental Hospitals ◽

Characteristic Sample

Recent improvements in the treatment of psychotic patients (Ministry of Health, 1960; Registrar General 1957 and 1958) have, by contrast, drawn attention to the non-psychotic population of mental hospitals. This paper deals with this latter group. Their self-referent attitudes have been chosen for study as there is a persistent tradition in psychology which asserts their importance. This can be traced through McDougall (1923), the writings of Jung on Individuation (1939), Hilgard (1954), Sherif and Cantril (1947), Symonds (1951) and Carl Rogers (1951). Associated with this tradition is the concept that an important change in the attitude of a person to himself may lead to important changes in behaviour. This, if true, holds out hopes of therapeutic advance. This paper therefore studies the self-referent attitudes found in a characteristic sample population of non-psychotic patients in mental hospitals.

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