APPEAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31086, 15 June 1966, Page 6

APPEAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Suicide was the 14th cause of death in New Zealand, which should be sufficient reason in itself for public support and community interest in mental health, said the president of the Canterbury Association for Mental Health (Dr. H. D. Livingstone) at the association’s annual meeting.

The suicide rate in Christchurch, he said, was high. It called for the collaboration of people in law, general medicine, psychology, ministry and many other fields.

Dr. Livingstone said in his address that he did not see present any members of Parliament, judges, magistrates, probation officers, police officers, representatives of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, trade union executives, headmasters or headmistresses, university students’ executive, the Plunket Society, ministers of religion, Life Line, bank managers, insurance companies, Lions, Jaycees, Rotary, Round Table or other service organisations.

These organisations, he said, had not taken sufficient interest in mental health to attend last evening’s meeting of the association.

Dr. Livingstone appealed to such organisations to support the association. “Without public support it cannot be an effective organisation,” he said.

Dr. Livingstone said that with public support and the public actively supporting the organisation, the association could be effective in a broad way throughout the community.

Fo rexample, special committees could be set up to investigate and advise upon mental health in such places as schools, courts, industry, and on broad problems such as social prejudice among racial groups and religious organisations. Build Membership Dr. Livingstone said that the association should try to build up a membership so that it could be representative.

the association decided that the incoming committee should put this question of increasing representation, on its agenda. Mrs F. Myers said she thought a panel of speakers should be formed to go out and address all the organisations named by Dr. Livingstone, in an endeavour to interest them. .

A reader in the conflict of laws, University of Nottingham (Mr P. R. H. Webb) gave a brief address on the circumstances under which a mental patient might be compulsorily admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act, 1959, in the United Kingdom. A mental health review tribunal in Britain consisted of a legal member, a medical member and a member who was neither legally nor medically qualified but had a knowledge of the social services, he said. The main function of a tribunal was to release patients and the decision had to be reached by a majority. There were 15 tribunals—one for each regional hospital board area. The tribunals were subjected to the supervision of the Council on Tribunals, under the Tribunals and Inquiries Act, 1958. New Constitution

The association elected Dr. Livingstone as president, under terms of a new constitution unanimously adopted

last evening. Professor H. R. Gray was elected vice-presi-dent.

Other officers elected were: immediate past president, Mr C. T. Ford: secretary, the Rev. A. Mitchell; treasurer, Mr J. B. Hindin, and eight committee members.

The retiring secretary, Miss H. Melville, who did not seek re-election, was thanked. The annual report said that the period since May, 1965, had been the most significant in the history of the association in that it had seen the merging of the association with the Canterbury Mental Health Council. Already this had produced considerable benefits to the association, including vital additional finance. The association last evening adopted as one of its objects, a resolution to promote by . education and any other means, the mental health of the people of New Zealand and to promote public awareness of the importance of mental health, equally with that of physical health.