View report page

59
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Sara Syrop, m.d.(warsaw), d.p.h., d.c.h., d.t.m. and h.,
Senior Medical Officer
H. J. Vagg, a.r.s.h., a.i.s.w., Principal Mental Welfare Officer
The emphasis will be laid on the new developments since it is
felt these would be of particular interest especially to those closely
involved with Council's Services. Workers from other Authorities
may find it useful to compare our service with theirs.
On the other hand the pattern of presentation and lay-out has
been preserved for easy reference to previous reports so that the
reader can judge for himself the soundness of comments and predictions
made in the past.

The sharp rise in the total number of cases supervised by the
Mental Health Section will be noted. This development has been
foreseen and reflects the ever increasing acceptance by the public
and professionals of the value of community care. Whilst in
absolute numbers the increase in new referrals constitutes half of
the increase in total cases (75 and 150 respectively) in terms of
percentages the two increases are very comparable (16 per cent
for new referrals and 18 per cent for total cases).
It is important to note that the increase is confined to the
mentally ill and the psychopaths. In the latter category there is on
first glance a spectacular rise but the total numbers remain small.
The reason for the increase is twofold. Firstly the group contains
a "rag-bag" of conditions coming under the heading of personality
defects, and secondly the drug misusers are now more readily
coming within the orbit of medical and social casework. The group,
therefore, is inflated by those depending on drugs whose condition
is difficult to classify under the Mental Health Act, 1959.
The drop of 7 per cent in new referrals for subnormality is
less than in the previous year (36 per cent) but for the first time