A representative of the American Psychiatric Association charged here Wednesday that Americans are too prone to get the mentally ill "out of their tiair" by placing them in institutions.
"It's a horrible state we've gotten into," said Dr. Benjamin Pasamanick, professcr of psychiatry at the Ohio Stute university medical school.
The psychiatrist said fortunately for this country things are taking a turn for the better; that thanks to the tranquilizers more patients were released from mental institutions last year than ever before.
"But we still have a long way to go," added Dr. Pasamanick, who addressed a regional research conference, sponsored by the American Psychiatric Asso-
ciation and the department of psychiatry and neurology, Louisi ana State university medical school.', ,
The.psychiatrist, who spoke a1 the medical school, said other countries nave shown it is possible for the mentally ill or semi mentally ill to become a part of the community and perform worthwhile jobs.
"Only in this country have we fallen behind," he added. "It was around the middle of the 19th century that the big mental institutions began to develop as a means of getting the mentally disturbed out of our hair."
Dr. Pasamanick said in a highly complex industrial society, there's a disintegration of family ties; that disabled members of a family become a liability.
Unlike the Chinese, Americans have also lost respect for the elderly, charged the physician, and who is research representative for the American Psychiatric Association.
TRANQUILIZERS HELP That is why the tranquilizers are proving such a boon," he added. "While far from being a complete answer, these drugs form a crutch which permits the mental patient to leave the hospital and take his place once more in the community: The tranquilizers make him [ess obstreperous, more '.socially acceptable. Sometimes a patient, after working on the outside all day, will return to the mental institution to spend the night. Sometimes he will return for short periods of treatment. Often he need not return at all."
The psychiatrist said it is not enough for the general public to be tolerant; that work must also be found for such patients.
Recent changes in the treatment of psychiatric patients was also hailed by Dr. Otto Billig, psychiatry department, Vanderbilt University Medical school.
Dr. Billig said 20 years ago when a patient entered a mental institution he was often in for good. Today, he added, the new drugs help shorten both his hospital stay and his treatment. And psych o-therapy proves a big help.
TALKS OUT FEARS
"In psycho-therapy the patient talks with his psychiatrist about three times a week," he added. "He tells the psychiatrist about his fears. The psychiatrist helps him to understand these fears; helps him better understand himself and his relationship with those around him."
Another development w h i c h looms large on the psychiatric horizon, he added, is the study of the chemical changes which take place in the blood of mental patients. When such patients become excited, said Dr. Billig, a substance called serotomin increases in the blood particularly if the patient is a schizophrenic. The psychiatrist said the next step is to find a substance to counteract this serotomin.
Dr. Joseph Rysan* Nashville^ Tenn., expressed the belief that in times of great crises, man tends to embody his fears and hatred in symbols.
v 'CITES EMMITIES
"You get a symbol of an archenemy international Jew for the Nazis; international capitalist for the Communist," he explained. "Invariably there's a struggle with the arch-enemy, with no compromise possible. The Communist party today has evolved a cult and ritual similar to the Christian church. They have their scriptures, such as the writings of Marx and Lenin. They have their sacred spots, such as Lenin's tomb."
The importance of a psychiatrist being able to decode the seemingly meaningless utterances of their patients was stressed by Dr. Jack E. Connor, English department, Rice Institute, and Dr. Spencer Bayles, psychiatry department, Baylor University. The pair agreed that a better knowledge of linguistic semantics might help.
Delegates to the conference, scheduled to last through Thursday, were welcomed by Dr. Charles Watkins director of the psychiatry department, LSU Medical school. PHOTO: OVER COFFEE, four participants in an American psychiatric Association regional conference here discuss recent trends in mental illness. From left are Dr. Jack E. Conner, Dr. Spencer Bayles, Dr. Joseph Bysan and Dr. Charles Watkins.
