Marking time in the land of plenty: reflections on mental health in the United States.

ABSTRACT

This reprinted article originally appeared in American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1981, Vol. 51, No. 3, 391-402. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2013-42918-004.) This article focuses on reflections on mental health in the United States. This accumulation of wisdom and knowledge from experts inside and outside government has for the most part been ignored or shelved over the years because of revisions, deferrals, impoundments, vetoes, threatened vetoes, reorganizations, budget cuts, inflation, and military demands. Programs such as Head Start, which have been proven successful, have been fighting for survival, and community mental health centers, which in many ways represented a bold, new approach with much creative promise, were threatened with the loss of federal funding in the early 1970s. The humanist tradition in mental health and social services is best exemplified by Pinel's unchaining of psychotic patients Itards infinite patience in working with Victor, the wild child and Jane Addams's extraordinary development of community programs. On an international level a recent report of the WHO European Regional Office also has called for a wide ranging, independent group that would cut across national governments and exercise influence at high political levels to insure that important mental health policies are implemented. Perhaps the day will even come when an American President will feel responsible and accountable to the nation in an annual report to Congress and the people on the progress made in health and social welfare areas in his or her administration.