Our Inadequate Treatment of the Mentally III as Compared with Treatment of Other Sick People: Victor H. Vogel. Public Health Reports, Vol. LVI, No. 40, 1941.

While 58 per cent of all hospital beds in this country are occupied by mental cases, and in the estimation of the writer, 50 per cent of the patients of private physicians have emotional or mental disorders as an accompanying condition, only one or two per cent of all physicians in this country are psychiatric specialists. There is an almost total lack of efforts being made to prevent mental illnesses from occurring or developing to the point where hospitalization is necessary. The nation continues to spend $210,000,000 a year to maintain our mentally ill in hospitals, but only about $5,000,000 for the support of mental hygiene clinics. Although some psychoses are due to hereditary factors, infections, toxic agents and old age, most mental disturbances occur when persons are faced with what to them are intolerable situations. The proper treatment of the reactions to environmental stresses, particularly in childhood and adolescence, through mental hygiene clinics may prevent the development of a mental disorder. The unfortunate stigma attached to mental illness, and archaic persecutory commitment procedures should be corrected. The establishment of a neuropsychiatric research institute in connection with the Public Health Service is advocated.