RT Journal
A1 Ebaugh FG
T1 MEntal illness, reversible and irreversible
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1959
FD September 26
VO 171
IS 4
SP 377
OP 380
DO 10.1001/jama.1959.03010220001001
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1959.03010220001001
AB Emotionally disturbed patients commonly progress along a path that begins with nebulous complaints in doctors' offices and continues with accidents, delinquencies, troubles with family and police, unemployment, alcoholism, and either suicide or institutional adjustment. The path can be reversed, but such reversal involves immensely difficult personal and social problems. The logical approach would be to attack emotional disturbance at its point and time of origin. If it cannot be stopped there, systematic efforts must be made to reverse the trend at whatever stage may have been reached. In any case, the progress of the patient toward prolonged or permanent institutional life should be halted if possible, and he should work toward the reestablishment of a healthy, dynamic relation to the community.