ALVIN COHEN, M.D., EDITOR

Vol. 2 No. S

I.ouLsiana Auckiatpic Amociation __4 0/,h 4,,,.fra,,

NEWSLETTER

3716 PRYTANIA ST., NEW ORLEANS 15, LA. WILLIAM A. MRRIOE, M.D., ASSOCIATE EDITOR

February, 1963

President's Column: It is still too early to assay

reactions to President Kennedy's message regarding Mental Health and Retardation. Thus far, there has been a peculiar silence, while var-ious lay and professional groups pre-pare their response. One observer Comments that never before has there been an administration so concerned with health. We await the response of the A14A and APA with interest.

Regardless of outcome, it seems that the overall sociophilosophic theme is clear. The health of the nation is a vital natural resource. Some think that national survival requires its Conservation. The Fed-eral Government, or at least the pre-sent administration, would like to do something about it. What? how much? and flow? are matters that should be decided through constructive colla-boration between national and local groups. has a gauntlet been thrown down? Will local private and com-munity interests assume responsibility and match the government's interest. We cannot demand authority without also accepting responsibility. This is a truism that must be faced in many social issues today.

Louisiana has an excellent State Mental Health Program. For its sur-vival and growth it must have both governmental support and local com-munity support. Ultimately the sec-tor that supports it the most will benefit the most. State medical groups must come to see that by ignoring a responsibility they merely strengthen the hand of others who accept responsi-bility. The 'mental health problem' will not go away simply Ieclllse organ-ized medicine resents its presence. Jt will instead take up abode in the hands of other non-medical groups where, being a step-child, it will never thrive; and

its foster parents will inevitably regret and abuse their unnatural authori.ty.

Cordially, Ed Knight Past President

[The Newsletter invited the Past Presi-dent to write this colul.En and hopes to establish a precedent whereby the Past President will continue to cake use of this means of addressing the Membership.]

At January 31 Executive Council Meeting: Edward Knight, Chm, AMA Steering

Corn., reported Com. was working to ob-tain official sponsorship from La. State lied. Soc.

Plans were made to request each Pariah Med. Soc. to appoint Committees on l.lental Health.

Discussed aged for aeabcra to approach State Legislators about uhject of inadequate budgets for our hospitals.

Received report that hlardin Branch cancelled plans to speak -at N.O. FUate lied. Assembly upon learning that Negro physicians were not permit-ted to attend.

S. Approved John Aihea, Full mem-bership and Robert lavis, Associate membership.

President was requested to con-tact Orleans Parish Med. Soc. regarding appointment of Com. on Mental Health. [Subsequent to Executive Council nitg, President directed a letter to Presi-dent of Orleans Parish Med. Soc. re-garding this md latter replied that this would he considered at Mar. 12 Executive mtg.]

Received report that N.I.lt.h1. will support financially the Workshop of Con, on Allied Professions.

Ronald llcNichol, Charles Armistead, and Charles Feigley were

to Childhood and Adolescence

LOUISIANA PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

Gene L. Usdin, M.D., President Harold I. Lief, M.D., President-Elect Erie N. Harris, Jr., M.D., Vice-Pres. George N. Burke, M.D., Vice-Pres. William C. Super, M.D., Secretary Harold F. holding, M.D., Treasurer

* * *

Corn. Discussed Half-Way House. Social

Welfare Planning Council has $57,000 available for a project on rehabilita-tion. Edward Knight and William Super appeared before Special Corn, of Council on behalf of La. Mental Health Assn. to urge approval of the funds for a Half-Way House pilot project.

Next Executive Council rntg, Thursday, Mar. 7, at noon.

N.O. So iety Neurology 1, Psychiatry: Tea Oloch, Internist, and members

John Winkler, William Sorum, John Moossy, with Kenneth Ritter, Moderator, participated in a panel on "Neuropsy-chiatric Techniques in the Aging Per-son at Feb. rntg.

Edward Norman was appointed Chrn of Corn, to Study Suitability of Grant-ing Approval of Awards to Residents and Medical Students. Other members appointed: Morton Enelow, John Albea, Genevieve Arneson, William Sorum, Thomas Rafferty, Tarver Butler, and Max Sugar.

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 18, 1963 L.S.U. - 8 P.M. Panel - "Etiologic Notions and

Therapeutic Practice in Schi zophrenia"

Report of Nominating Committee and Election of Officers

La. Group Psychotherapy Society: Max Sugar will he Institute Di-

rector, Second Annual Institute, La. Group Psychotherapy Soc., Friday and Saturday, April 5-6. Milton Berger of N.Y., President, AGPA, will he guest speaker. The mtg will be held at Touro Infirmary.

Eve Vail spoke on 'Parameters in Group Format" at Feb. 14 mtg.

Baton Rouge: George Caruso discussed possibility

that Corn, on Mental Health might he formed in East Baton Rouge Med. Soc. Incoming President of Soc. was "utte interested in having such a Corn." and stated he would give consideration to formation of such a Con, by East Baton Rouge Med. Soc.

Louisiana Association for Mental Health: Loyd Rowland will be honored on

April25 at a Testimonial Dinner in the Grand Ball Room of the Roosevelt Hotel, in New Orleans. Members of the LPA will receive a formal invitation but you might mark the date in your calendar and make plans to attend.

On April 26 the Association will present its Annual Mental Health Assem-bly. The theme this year will be "Treat-ment and Special Services for Mentally Ill Children" at the Fontainebleau Motor Hotel.

From G. Wilse Robinson, Speaker, Assembly of District Branches:

Please vote on Amendments to Consti-tution and By-Laws of the American Psy-chiatric Association (The New Constitu-tion).

The new law of the American Psychi-atric Association will be in the hands of all voting members soon. Every per- son who has the right to vote should vote as he deems proper.

The Officers of the Assembly hope that every friend of the Assembly will vote "YES". This law gives the Assembly an official position not before accorded it, and if the District Branches are to move forward in stature and prestige, this new law should be passed.

It is hoped that all of the Officers of all District Branches will find some procedure to get word to all their members to Vote and to vote "YES". There will be some who always vote "NO" and there are some who do not approve of this new recog-nition of the Assembly.

This may not be an automatic election. Will the Officers of the Branches please "get out the Vote". Many elections have been lost by complacency.

State Mental Health Program: Planning for comprehensive community-

based mental health services was the main ro—cus of the Surgeon General's Conference with State Mental Health Authorities held at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland,

January 9-11. Winhorn E. Davis, Assis-tant Director of the State Department of Hospitals, represented Louisiana at this meeting and reports that guide- lines were received outlining procedures for long range planning which is being pushed by NIMII. Approximately $66,000 will he made available to Louisiana beginning in July, 1963, and can be expended over a period of two years by the State Mental Health Authority.

The State Department of Hospitals is dividing the State into nine mental health regions, each of which will study its own mental health needs and resources and develop long range plans. Emphasis will he on developing facili-ties in local communities which are at least partially supported by local revenues and which will serve the people close at home. Plans must in-clude work with community agencies and individuals who are not in the men-tal health field per se, but who are responsible for working with children and adults in some capacity.

It is possible that a plan of this type will bring to the State more Federal revenues, which along with state and local funds can pro- vide most services needed in the field of mental health at the local level. In ten to fifteen years, it is be-lieved that State mental hospitals as they are now known may not be needed. They may have to be converted to other purposes if the local community can provide all the Services needed by the mentally ill.

The State Department of Hospitals is now preparing an application for the planning funds being made available by NIMII. The plan must be received by the Federal Government no later than May 1, 1963.

Book Review By

Arthur Burdon

You will enjoy Persuasion and Healing: A Comparative Study of Psy-chotherapy by Jerome D. Frank. Be-sides being a delight to read and a scholarly and literary gem, this easily scanned and beautifully or-ganized book should be read, I think, more than once by all of us who do any kind of psychotherapy. It is a sweeping, non-partisan critique of

contenporary American Psychotherapy as he coopares it with religious healing, ancient magical healing, brain-washing techniques, and other forms of "Thought Reform.

He reviews his own research, com-paring follow-up results in brief ther-apy (superficial contact therapy, group therapy, and intensive psychotherapy) done at Hopkins to support his thesis as to the power of mental healing: A very compelling "placebo" effect (the tendency of the patient to adopt a new frame of reference from the healer, in- cluding a real and often enduring change which the healer defines as cure and which the patient experiences as cure). Thus, he stresses basic trust, suggesti-bility and abreaction as the commonality of all successful psychotherapy, in-cluding psychoanalysis. lie insists that this feature is as ancient as Sumerian Dr (right in line with Masserman) , citing figures to indicate that percentages of symptom relief are about the same in all forms of psychotherapy.

He doesn't say that everything modern in psychotherapy is simply fluff, but he hesitates about giving any real weight to the power of intellectual a-wareness about one's inner motivations. A closely reasoned discussion of psycho-analysis and psychoanalytic training as an elaborate form of indoctrination and persuasion appears toward the end of the book. Though without noticeable acrimony or polemics, these pages toward the latter part of the book should provoke plenty of both in some of its readers.

At Touro_infirmary: M.L. Michel, Chief, Dept. of Surgery,

and Max ugar, of Psy. discussed "TheTTDT Cancer Patient" at Feb. 8 mtg.

Melvin_Steiner, Chief Dept. of Gynecology, anTiTiry, Coloab, Dept. of Pay, will diacus Prnopause" at lIar. 8 atg.

Samuel Zurik, Past Chief, Dept. of Otolaryngology, and Alfred Olinde, Dept. of Psy. will discuss "Emotional Aspects of Deafness" at Mar. 22 ntg.

At DePaul Hospital JustillieT'rct and Fred Hunter

discussed "Ilepatic Dfseasc Following Administration of Thorazine in a Specific Case" at Feb. 16 staff nitg.

Gene Usdin led panel discussion with

Edwin Fuchs, Medical Director, and Jack Chappius, Child Guidance Center Direc-tor, before members of the DePaul Guild, Feb. 18.

At Central La. State hospital: Staff members and reprcsentatives

of each department of the hospital are preparing for the visit of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of the American Hospital Association which will take place sometime this spring.

At January rntg James Loe and others explained tha the commission's accreditation program is one of the most useful instruments yet devised for improving hospital care. It is also a potent force in encouraging good hospital care.

Central Hospital and the Alexan-dria Vocational Rehabilitation Center have opened a Vocational Rehabilitation Unit, located in two of the old Forest Glen buildings.

An addition to the hospital's re-habilitation program already in pro-gress, the Vocational Rehabilitation Unit will take patients who are poten-tially employable.

The staff, made up of individuals from the Hospital and the State Voca-tional Rehabilitation Division, eval-uates patienta, gives them varying amounts of training and then will place them in positions in communities throughout the state.

One of the most effective phases of the cooperative program is the follow-up. The State Division of Vo-cational Rehabilitation has eleven local offices throughout the State and the hospital network is statewide, so the two agencies can follow the patient's progress, both physically and mentally, after he takes his place in the community.

Twenty-four medical students from the L.S.U. School of Medicine in New Orleans visited Central La. State Hos-pital in what is hoped will he a regu-lar part of their training.

At L.S.U. Harry Trosnan, Associate Prof. of

Psy., University of Chicago, discussed "Experimental Investigation of Dreams From a Ncurophvsiological and Psycho-analytic Viewpoint".

* * *

George Caruso spoke on ".lA Congress on Mental Health and Illness" at Baton Rouge Chapter of La. Mental Health Assn. on Feb. 14 .... Arthur Epstein and Arthur Burden were apjinted to LPA Nominating Corn, and will serve with elected members Edward knipht, Henry Colomb, and Henry Milea .... Charles Feigley spoke on "Sex

Tqe" at program conducted by the F.B.I. and General Extersion Division of L.S.U. on Fob. 4 and 6. He also spoke to the East Baton Rouge Parish Med. Soc. Woman's Auxiliary on Feb. 8 .... Arthur .Samuels represented this area at American Group Psychotherapy Assn. r5tg in Washington in January. He spoke on "The Theoretical and Practical Considerations of Group Balance in the Psychotherapy Group" and participated in srtgs of Board of Direc-tors .... Winhorn Davis was appointed by the Goveas Acting Director, State Department of Hospitals.

NEXT MEETING

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1963

L.S.U. - PROMPTLY AT 7:45 P.M.

DR. ZIGMOND LEBENSOHN, WASHINGTON, D.C.

"ASSESSMENT OP PRESENT TRENDS IN NIERICAN PSYChIATRY"

REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

WIVES INVITED

* * *

Dr. Milton Rosenhaum, Chairman, Dept. of Pay, of Albert Einstein University School of Medicine, will speak at Friday, May 17, 1963, rrtg.