The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-08-23
Nation'S Foremost Psythiatrist Makes
 Survey Alaska 5 Ills

Survey Alaska Ills
 Aside from the possible .construc- ton in Alaska of psychiatric hos pital to care for the territory's mentally i'll, there are other im- portant aspects to the mental health problem of the territory, &C., cording to Dr. Winfred Overholser. now touring Alaska at the head of Department of the Interior task group" Investigating the prob- lems of mental health in the north.
 Whatever the outcome of the in- vestigation, Alaskans can be sure that their problems as regard men, tai health are considered seriously by a man who knows his business and who has the wisdom and compassion to deal with the proh- lens presented to him.
 Dr. Overholser, superintendent of the Federal Governments St. Eliz- abeth hospital in Washington, D. C., and professor of psychiatry at George Washington university. sees as the first need of the north, Con- gressional action and such territor- ial legislation as would be nec- essary in changing regulations re- garding admission of mental cases to institutional care.
 Change of Law
 Alaska's laws require that a mentally disabled person be tried by a jury, be treated as criminal, possibly be lodged in jail and com- mitted to an institution before he can get psychiatric care from the government.
 It was Dr. Overholser whose per- sistent crusading for change in the law of the District of Colum- bia corrected a similar situation in the nations capital. And that was not many years ago.
 Only two states in the union still require a jury trial of psychiatric patients
 Provision for hospital admission for mental care must be changed and that is almost a demand from Dr. Overholser. Next, the territory should provide some fac- ilities for psychiatric care this side of institutional or custodial care.
 The whole problem of the care of the mentally ill in Alaska is com plicated by the tremendous size of the Territory, its small population and the lack of psychiatric facil- ities and personnel.
 In all of the territory, there Is only one psychiatrist in Anchor age.
 One difficulty of establishing a psychiatric hospital in Alaska, as pr. Overholser sees it now, might be the staffing of an institution.
 The scientist called attention to the fact that no care is available in the territory for the psychotic person who would benefit from such care in a general hospital, flor the person who has psychiatric problems but is mot crazy" for the person whose problems trans late into physical disability, nor for children in the schools, not necessarily delinquent, but whose problems as children grow into psychiatric disabilities because of lack of treatment.
 Suggestion For Alaska
 There are many relatively acute psychotic episodes amenable to treatment which could be cared for in general hospitals. Many such hospitals have suitable facilities and more are providing them. Perhaps this would be a help in Alaska" Dr. Overholser said
 With Dr. Overholser is Dr. Dale c. Cameron, assistant director, Na- tional Institute of Mental Health, U. S. Public Health Service, and through the public health service there is available to states through national subsidy these aides to the care of the mentally i'll:
 l. Clinical activities for the care of mental patients.
 2. The teaching of psychiatry to
 medical men.
 3. Funds for psychiatric re- search.
 N Travelling with Dr. Overholser and pr. Cameron, arranging their meetings, is Will Goding, repre- senting the Division of Territories and Insular Possessions, Depart ment of the Interior. Goding. who was born in Skagway. was, with a rr15v,uit f,.iho rooropor fho 0r1v