Atlanta Daily World

NUL Cites Plight Of Mentally Ill No Concern Shown Race Patients

NEW YORK - A three-fold responsibility rests upon the nation's health and welfare agencies to stimulate action in an area which, until recent years, has aroused scant public concern - the problem of mental health.

This was the shocking conclusion expressed by Nelson C. Jackson, NUL associate executive director, on his return to New York from a recent leadership conference on action for mental health in Washington.

The three-day meeting there was sponsored by the National Association for Mental Health, in cooperation with more than 100 major community and professional organizations across the country.

Mr. Jackson was discussion leader at one of the group sessions. Mrs. Cornelia Johnson, director of the NUL Washington office, was a consultant in another concurrent discussion meeting.

RESPONSIBILITY

Mr. Jackson, in a subsequent report, said he feels the three elements of the nation's responsibility in helping to develop and implement a blue-print for action toward meaningful solution of the nation's mental health problems, as reflected in the conference, are these:

1. A comprehensive development and interpretation of facts relating to availability of vitally needed services to non-white mentally ill persons in every community.

Awakening of civic leadership, public officials and all other community welfare agencies to the "tragic trickle" of medical training facilities that exist toward providing a realistic number of Negro physicians and other specialists in the field of mental illness.

3. Increased collaboration and cooperation by local social service agencies with mental health groups in urban centers, to stimulate community action where possible and to initiate action toward making clear to their fellow citizens the gravity of this mounting health problem.

These responsibilities pose an enormous challenge to the Urban League movement, Mr. Jackson declared.

"Among many sad commentaries on the appalling lack of facilities and professional manpower resources available to meet the needs of the mentally-ill Negro citizen was the fact, brought out in the discussions, that there are only 60 Negro psychiatrists in the United States," he said.

"There are many reasons for this, perhaps. But chief among them are the shortages of adequate training facilities open to Negro aspirants to this profession, plus limited opportunities to practice it afterward."

GLARING LACK

Mr. Jackson said the conference discussions brought into disturbing focus a realization that not only are facilities for care and rehabilitation of the mentally ill woefully inadequate in many urban communities, but also that "the most glaring lack are those available for treating non-white citizens."

"This is particularly true of services to non-white children afflicted with mental imbalances," Mr. Jackson asserted.

"Another somber facet of the problem is the increasing age span of the population, with the attendant mental infirmities of the aged that come with it."

Still another, he added, is the return of patients to normal living through the therapy of tranquilizing drugs and other medication, which must be continued if their recovery is to be maintained, but might be beyond the financial resources of many. The job of acquainting the recovered patient with the community resources for his rehabilitation is a growing responsibility which the UL and other private agencies concerned must prepare themselves swiftly to fulfill, Mr. Jackson said.