1949] REVIEW OF PSYCHIATRIC PROGRESS 1948 54’

SOCIAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

BERNARD GLUECK, M. D., GLENS FALLS, N. Y.

Since no satisfactory definition has as yet reviewer found the foregoing summary of
been achieved of what constitutes the field of man’s wants very helpful in dealing with
“social psychopathology,” it is difficult to his patients’ reactions to frustration in these
point specifically to the pertinent contribu- matters.
tions to this subject during 1948. Next in importance are Kurt Lewin’s,
In the “Proper Study of Mankind”(i) “Resolving Social Conflicts,”(2) and Halli-
Stuart Chase, unquestionably the foremost day’s “Psycho-Social Medicine”(3). Both
contemporary technician in the art of trans- of these books furnish much thought-pro-
forming knowledge into understanding, con- yoking material for a dependable estimate of
tributes a challenging inquiry into the sci- the social etiology of morbidity. In this con-
ences of human relations, a survey of already nection it is well to ponder the fascinating
available knowledge and technique, which, paper by Allan Gregg(4) “The Limitations
intelligently applied, should further materially of Psychiatry.” Sullivan(5) gives a brilliant
the melioration of the problems which psy- and telling discussion and critique of the do-
chiatry is called upon to deal with. ings in London and at Raffey Park Reha-
Especially deserving of reiteration here are bilitation Center, in connection with the
those universal needs and functions which International Congress on Mental Health
cultural anthropologists and sociologists find held this summer in London. Psychiatric
in every society so far studied and which are thinking and goal charting will assuredly be
satisfied by thousands of different customs. very much stimulated when a full discussion
of the deliberations of this important con-
(,) Language-the most important of all.
(2) Status of the individual in the group.
gress appears in the literature. A good back-
() Family and social organization. ground for all this is the State Department
(4) Methods for dealing with materials, food, publication, “Unesco and You” (6).
shelter, clothing, and so on.
Taken together, the publications already
(5) Government.
referred to indicate a resurgence of an active
(6) Religion.
(7) Systems for explaining natural phenomena, and serious interest in the ecological features
magic, mythology, and lately science. of man’s struggle for adjustment to the re-
(8) Rules governing property, who owns what, quirements of present-day living. In “Social
barter, trade, money. Science and Social Tension” (7), Kenneth B.
() Art forms-stories, poems, songs, architecture,
sculpture, and design. Clark undertakes a detailed discussion of
(io) War. This is a very ancient and widespread the relationship between social tension and
element, though some students disagree individual adjustment. What are the types
about its universality. of social tension which most influence per-
Distortions of attitude, misconceptions, sonal adjustment; what are the media
and anxieties in our individual patients with through which social tensions impinge upon
reference to these universals can often be the individual and influence his adjustment;
the more easily dispelled when we help the what are the effects of personal motivations
patient to realize his relatedness to the past and the characteristics of the individual on
in human culture. the forms and stability of society; in what
Chase’s book furnishes considerable ways, if any, are intergroup conflicts, inter-
groundwork upon which psychiatry might national crises, and wars understandable in
construct its definition of social psychopa- terms of problems and disturbances in the
thology. One should add here his statement personality of specific individuals, for ex-
that Prof. W. I. Thomas was not far wrong ample, leaders, or in terms of characteristics
when he wrote of the “four wishes” of man- common to many individuals. The records of
kind a generation ago. Every individual, he the psychiatrist’s consultation room or clinic
said, needed from his group four things: might contribute a great deal of enlighten-
response, security, recognition, and new ex- ment on these matters.
perience. In the course of the years, this The above-mentioned contributions come
542 REVIEW OF PSYCHIATRIC PROGRESS 1948 [Jan.

nowhere near covering the literature which tions in the field of psychosocial medicine.
has a direct bearing on the subject under dis- By implication, at any rate, this book goes
cussion. The current periodicals in the gen- beyond advice for the achievement of per-
eral field of human relations, psychiatric, sonal felicity and attacks the many and varied
psychological, and sociological, offer a wealth sources of social pathology which conspire to
of contributions which call for a diligent syn- make human life the burden that it is instead
thesis into a body of data and techniques of the joyous adventure that it should be.
which would materially enrich psychiatric Altogether the year 1948, the third in the
thought and practice. Atomic Age, has furnished psychiatry with
The value and importance of a cooperative more than ample source material for the
effort among the various disciplines dealing necessary prolegomena to a practical “science
with problems in human relations is no of social psychopathology.”
longer questioned by anyone. A rereading of
Leighton’s “The Governing of Men” (8), BIBLIOGRAPHY
published in 1945, offers a convincing demon-
stration of this. i. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948.
2. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1948.
Finally, reference should be made to 3. W. W. Norton & Co., New York, 1948.
Cameron’s “Life is for Living”(9). Apart 4. Am. J. Psychiatry, 104: 513, March 1948.
from being a completely authentic and re- 5. Psychiatry, II : 223, Aug. 1948.
warding presentation of applied mental hy- 6. U. S. State Dept. Publication 2904.
7. Mental Hygiene, 32: 15, Jan. 1948.
giene, its refreshing and lusty attack upon 8. Princeton University Press, Princeton N. J.,
“pattern living,” which plagues us all, places 1945.

this book also among the foremost contribu- 9. The Macmillan Co., New York, 1948.

ADMINISTRATIVE, FORENSIC AND MILITARY PSYCHIATRY

WINFRED OVERHOLSER, M. D.

ADMINISTRATIVE PSYCHIATRY They recognize three fundamental types of

During the year a substantial number of psychotic reaction, namely affective exag-
articles on phases of administrative psychi- geration, paranoid projection, and heboid
atry have appeared; this may or may not regression, and recommend a seven-point
be a response to the heightened interest in rating scale along the lines used early by
hospital operation resulting from the various Sheldon in classifying his somatotypes.
“expos#{233}s”of the past few years. The roles of various ancillary groups are
Tallman ( I) in a comprehensive paper considered. Shalit (7) discusses the psychi-
deals with state programs of mental hygiene, atric nurse in the community mental health
mentioning as eight points to be considered program. The function of the chaplain is
laws, buildings, staff, training, clinics, public presented by Fr. Burke(8) and Bruder(9).
education, research, and cooperative plan- DeWitt( io) considers the function of the
ning. Coleman (2) discusses the relation of social worker in the total treatment program,
child guidance clinics to such a program. stressing the desirability of an early rela-
Two interesting articles on construction of tionship between the worker and the new
mental hospitals are found in the English iient. The worker’s activity in the adult
literature-Webster (3) and O’Reilly (). clinic is presented by Rockmore and Ken-
The important topic of recruiting physi- worthy( ii). The preparation and service
cians is dealt with by Harrison(5), who of food in an institution for mental defectives
stresses the need of offering training facili- is discussed by Cleaver and Wearne( 12),

ties if one expects to be successful in such and the contribution of the librarian to a pro-
recruiting. gram of psychotherapy is the topic of
The vexed problem of nomenclature is ably Gottschalk( 13).
discussed by Wittman and Sheldon(6). The results of hospital treatment are con-