Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1942-12-27
CAPITAL TALKS
by
Peter
Edison

All through a soldiers training
period he is watched closely to see
il he develops psychiatrlc Symp-
toms of any kind.
In spite of the fact that the Army
sees to it that there is compe-
tent psychiatrist at every induction
center to reject selectees who may
show siens of nervous disorders,
some do get through the screening.
For one thing. it's pretty difficult to
mark mans record with the spe-
cific DIAGNOSIS that he is not suit
able for military service because
of a personality defect. A man
nav have been getting along all
right in civilian life, but TO prand
him as a psychiatric case may oe
contributing factor to later maiao-
iustment and nervous breakdown.
You can stir up an argument
among psychiatrists on this mat
ter of acceptance and reJectiohs
almost any day at all. Civilian
psychiatrists and family doctors
NAV hold that the Army REJECTS
too many. Military N.P.'s, or
neuro -psychiatrists, are OF the
opinion that too many potential
nervous cases are admitted.
If symptoms of mental or ner-
vous illness are discovered during
colaier's first six months in the
Army, he may be returned TO CIVIL
ian life. After six months, SOL
der is turned over to the Veterans
Administration and becomes pup
lie charge.
The largest group of Army
psycho-reuroses comes from the
men WITH unsuitable emotions
Soldiers who get along well with
their buddies and take Army lie
in their stride never have much
trouble. But company command
ers, Junior officers and non-comS
have to be constantly on the look
out for rockies VIII get acute OF
PROLONGED inconsistencies, men VINO
are morbid or morose, men VINO
20 around with a chip on their
shoulder.
THEY DON'T MIND
Experience of the Army thus far
in this war is that the soldiers
don't resent being plugged Often
the Embellishments are temporary
and straighten themselves out.
Sometimes talk with the COM
pany commander or the chaplain
will remove the bug" and Work
cure. Sometimes men who want 10
get out of the Army play up their
psychiatric traits, but the Army
knows how to detect and deal with
those phony neurotics, too.
With men who can't break into
the routine, psychiatric therapy
comes into play. A small percent,
age can be reclaimed, but now
much time the Army should de-
vote to this salvage OF personnel
is a debatable matter.
A pattern for a mental hygiene
clinic has been worked out and IS
now in the process of being install
ed at every Army training center.
Wherever possible, each OF these
clinics will be manned by a neuTo-.
psychia trist, a psychologist and as
many social workers as are neces-
sary and available.
The psychiatrist will be a grad
uate physician who has specialized
in mental and nervous diseases ana
who has gone through the new
Army Medical Corps training school
for Army N.Ps. The psvchol-
ogist will come from the adiutant
generals department and will be
trained to give intelligence tests
and work with illiterates.
BACKGROUND A FACTOR
A school for training these psy-
biologists has already been opened
at FIT. Leavenworth, Kan. The So
cial workers are being furnished
and trained by the Red Cross. 1t
will be their job to delve into the
family record of each psychiatrlc
patient and furnish the background
case history necessary TO determine
if the soldier can be -salvaged for
active duty, for limited duty, or
must be returned to civilian life.
Two things should be made
clear in consideration of the de
velopment Of this relatively
new science Of psychiatry.
First, the soldiers aren't judged
by any rubber stamp standards.
Every soldier is considered as an
individual and allowances ore
made for personalities. Mu-
sicians and blacksmithS aren't
Judged alike, but on the basis Of
what is normal for each type.
Second is the fact that psy-
chiatry isn't psycho-analysis or the
phony dream reading which lot
of effete and high-strung city folks
have gone in for as a fad. Army
psychiatry is being handled on
pretty high ethical plane, and in
a manner that even the most con-
servative medical men can approve.
It's psychiatry plus mental hygiene
building up Of morale, creating the
will TO fight.