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7
decreased purchasing power of money and who for reasons
of personal pride have been unwilling to apply for the
help to which they are entitled.
It is hoped that with the more general recognition
of the need to make proper provision for old age, both
personally and through national schemes these cases will
diminish and that with a condition of full employment the
incentive to continue some, though perhaps part-time,
employment after reaching retiring age will improve the lot
of the old people in the coming years.
In all the circumstances it is necessary to expand
the services for old people but it is hoped that the numbers
needing the services will not show a substantial increase.
The statistics and details of other services are
dealt with in some detail in the report but it may be well
to draw attention to the report on suicides.
Since it was pointed out that Hampstead had the
highest suicide rate for the whole country in 1950 it has
been assumed by some people that this has continued to be so.
This is not correct and some figures are given relating to
Hampstead and to neighbouring boroughs in the report.
During the past two years, however, it has been
felt that as the number of suicides has been high some
positive effort should be made to try and prevent people
taking their lives and several meetings have been held,
attended by persons interested in mental health, religion,
social welfare and public health to discuss preventive
measures.
The primary difficulty is, of course, to get in
touch with those persons who might attempt suicide and it
must be remembered that although we speak of high figures
only one person in 4,000 does in fact commit suicide.
Hampstead is very liberally served with organisations,
societies and services which provide companionship
and which can. meet the mental, spiritual and physical needs
of most people and it is perhaps the greatest tragedy that
people who attempt suicide will often not seek, and in some
cases will not even accept, the help which is so freely
available. A great deal is done by general medical practitioners,
psychiatrists, churches and others but as their work