Social Class and Mental Illness in Children

Abstract

I. Introduction ALMOST HALF a century ago Freud said: Against the vast amount of neurotic misery which is in the world and perhaps need not be, the quantity we can do away with is almost negligible. Besides this, the necessities of our own existence limit our work to the well-to-do classes, accustomed to choose their own physicians, whose choice is diverted away from psychoanalysis by all kinds of prejudices. At present we can do nothing in the crowded ranks of the people, who suffer exceedingly from neuroses. Now let us assume that by some kind of organization we were able to increase our numbers to an extent sufficient for treating large masses of people. Then on the other hand, one may reasonably expect that at some time or other the conscience of the community will awake and admonish it that the poor man has just as much right