Preventive Mental Health
Abstract
Preventive Mental Health SAGE Publications, Inc.1967DOI: 10.1177/001789696702600402 T.A.Ratcliffe Nottingham Children's Hospital SOME initial explanation is necessary since . I do not propose to deal with Mental Health in its narrow sense. I know of no convincing evidence to show that any preventive measures can significantly reduce the incidence of serious mental illness. But there is considerable evidence to show that satisfactory child-rearing methods can do much to aid good maturation and the growth towards good citizenship. These are the aspects which I would like to discuss here. But, of course, this is a vast subject which would justify a whole conference in its own right; indeed, like some of my colleagues, I have taken part in many such Conferences on this topic during the past years and in various areas of the country, as part of the in-service training of teachers, doctors, health visitors and the like. Today, I have only half an hour; consequently, if you say afterwards that I have missed out a great deal, generalised on many topics and sometimes been provocative, you will be quite right. My aim has not been to attempt to cover the whole subject, but rather to help your thinking