Application of Control Methods to Mental Illness

Abstract

An estimate is made of currently available techniques of known effectiveness in improving the mental health of populations. This review reveals that some techniques for preventing brain damage from infections, poisons, injuries and nutritional deficiencies are being applied by health departments to prevent deaths from these agents. Whether or not chronic disability from these agents is preventable is still unknown. Stable family settings for development of young children could be preserved; more efficiently than at present. Treatment of the mentally ill would be more effective if assets of patients were more effectively preserved; institutionalization and unsuccessful "treatments" emphasized less; and rehabilitation emphasized more.