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In addition to the two homes newly registered during the year, one home was
re-registered in the name of the new proprietor and the former registration cancelled,
and the registration of another home was amended to allow the accommodation
of an additional surgical patient.
NATIONAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT STUDY
The department completed a follow-up study of the physical, sociological and
educational status of children who are the survivors of the 1958 Perinatal Mortality
survey.
The study which was to relate findings to existing birth data, was completed by
health visitors and school doctors. Seventy children residing in the Borough of
Lewisham were involved.
SUICIDE
An investigation into the incidence of suicide and attempted suicide among residents
of the former Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was carried out with the help
of the Department by Dr. G. I. Tewfik, M.D., D.P.M., Consultant Psychiatrist to
Powick Hospital and lately Consultant to Bexley Hospital. Dr. Tewfik addressed a
special meeting of the Health Committee in August on the subject.
Dr. Tewfik was asked to enquire into suicide because the number of admissions
to Lewisham Hospital for suicidal attempts in 1963 was four times as many as in 1957.
The investigation was planned to discover whether the figures for successful suicide
had also risen and if the Lewisham statistics coincided with the pattern for London
and the country as a whole.
347 cases of suicide occurring in the Borough between the years 1950-1963 were
studied; 215 males and 132 females. Comparing the rates for 1950-1956 with those of
1957-1963, there has been an increase of 31.2% males and 62.7% females. For the
years 1955-1958 compared with the years 1959-1962, the rate has risen from 11.6 to
13.4 per hundred thousand, a rise of five places in the ranking order of London
Boroughs. There has been a considerable ageing of the population with a decreased
birth rate. There has been a slight increase in the number of divorced males and
females and of widowed females.
There has also been a gradual increase in the number of people living alone.
In 1931 there were 0.84%, in 1951 3 5% and in 1961 4 6%. The numbers who were
"foreign born" has also risen 0.76% in 1933, 2.3% in 1951 and 4.3% in 1961.
Despite this only one case of attempted suicide in a coloured person could be recalled
by the hospital staff.
Compared with figures for England and Wales there has been an increase in the
suicide rate in Lewisham in the 22-44 age group and in the elderly of both sexes.
In his summing up Dr. Tewfik said "one can only conclude that either the psychiatric
awareness of the general population has caused a change in the expression
of distress from somatic to psychiatric channels, or what is more likely, is that there
is a real increase in distress, misery and despair in the Lewisham District."
In 1953 the Rev. Chad Varah advertised in the daily press for people contemplating
suicide to telephone him on Mansion House 9000. Since that time the response to his
invitation has been most remarkable. The callers have not all been about to commit
suicide, but many have, and most of the rest have been in need of help, advice or just
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