[Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Lincoln City.

  • Lincoln (England). City Council.
Date:
1965
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Lincoln City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and medical aspects of any one case in consultation with the other members of the Child Guidance team. Cases are only referred to the Consultant Psychiatrist by the School Psychological Service (or other agencies) when it appears that the full team approach is necessary. In this case the General Practitioner is always consulted for his opinion before the child is seen. Cases referred direct by the General Practitioner or School Medical Officer are seen as a routine by the whole team. In view of the tremendous pressure of work, as shown by the new referral figures, it is manifestly impossible to give each child and family more than a minimum number of interviews. In other words the work of diagnosis and treatment often has to be condensed into the first interview lasting from 1 — 1| hours. The progress of the case can then be followed up by more intensive work of the Social Worker and occasional review interviews with the Psychiatrist. This method although forced upon us by necessity has proved to be more efficacious than might be supposed. The parents and child seen together in a therapeutic interview can often be helped to see the problem in a new light and so enabled to remake their relationships on a different level. It has been found that this approach has helped some parents who felt failures to feel more worthwhile and responsible and there¬ fore better able to take up the challenge of their new insight into the pro¬ blem. At the same time the child is helped to see the problem from the parents point of view as he is included in the joint interview. The whole problem is, therefore, out in the open and neither party can feel things are being said or done behind their backs. This engenders honesty and confidence between the members of the family, which in itself is therapeutic.” New referrals during the year New cases referred .. .. .. .. 88 New cases seen .. .. .. .. .. 82 New cases awaiting appointment .. .. 6 Psychiatrist’s interviews With parent .. .. .. .. .. 270 With child .. .. .. .. .. .. 245 515 Source of Referral % General Practitioner .. .. .. .. 37 Consultant .. .. .. .. .. 2 School Medical Officer .. .. .. .. 15 Child Care Officer .. .. .. .. 14 Court .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Educational .. .. .. .. .. 25 Others .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Reason for Referral School Refusal Anti-social behaviour Habit Disorder and Disordered Elimination Organic. Psychosomatic Others 8 34 35 12 4 7