MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 9

MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS

First National

Meeting

The first national meeting of mental health associations will be held in Christchurch at the Queen's Birthday week-end. The meeting will be run conjointly with a seminar on mental health arranged by the adult education department of the University of Canterbury. This is announced in the annual report of the Canterbury Mental Health Association, which has convened the national meeting. "The willing response of the other organisations in supporting this gathering is both encouraging and indicative of the need for some national organisation,” says the report. “While the initial meeting will be of an exploratory nature, after which delegates will report back to their respective associations, it is apparent that there is a need for closer liaison. It is hoped that, as a first step, the four associations may take responsibility in rotation to act as a ‘clearing-house’ for fact-finding and reports. At the present time some work is being duplicated unnecessarily because of the lack of exchange of information.” Lecturers at the seminar will include members of the staff of the department of psychiatry at the University of Otago and the Social Science School at the Victoria University of Wellington. The seminar will be open to the public, and the meetings between the delegates from the district mental health organisations will be open to observers, including all members of the Canterbury association.