Working with disturbed children

The Forest Hospital located in displaying the lanai presents the search

for mental health and exploration of the newest advances in psychiatry

during this series. Physicians and other professional personnel working in the area of

mental health at Forest Hospital. A hundred bed treatment facility

will discuss the latest advances in mental health care research

and education. Such topics as alcoholism

and adolescent behavior marital problems problems of the aged

suicide emotional problems and others will be presented on

the search for mental health. Your host for the series is Mr.

Morris Squire administrators of Forest Hospital.

This is Morris were a special guest for today is Mrs Gertrude R R Wilson a

graduate of the lonely University School of Social Work and member of the National

Association of Social Work and a charter member of the Academy of certified social workers

and the assistant director of the adolescent service at Forest Hospital and the mother of how many

children nine and that count. So you know

besides being a professional you have lots of

experience with raising your own family. What kind of kids come to a

psychiatric hospital.

Well they don't look much different than the kids you see in a normal

high school. The average kind of a high school in a suburb.

They differed from the adults who come to a psychiatric hospital in that

their behavior is preamps more like their peer group on the outside.

If you can't go into a psychiatric hospital. Adults tend to be more

bizarre. Perhaps more impulse ridden screaming.

Or. Crying. And the press.

Kids don't show depression by crying and looking sad. What

how do they show the depression. Keep adolescence

because the period of growth and development that in years.

Tends to man asked the true symptoms underneath. When I say an

adolescent doesn't show a depression perhaps one of the easiest things to talk about would be an

acting out depression but maybe it would be better first of all to talk about

you know what kinds of problems do kids have who do come to a psychiatric class

All right. Some of these kids are school phobic

others have learning disorders now because mean that their they don't want to go to school.

Where there is a small difference. My thoughts are with the kids. You

could say would now want to go to school. School phobic kids

want to go to school but find that they are able to do so.

And that's what's really the distinction. Maybe later on we can talk about school kids and it will

become clearer. All right kids with learning disorders come to a psychiatric

hospital. Kids who have disturbed parent child

relationships that are so severe that they actually hamper any kind of

operation. Kids with psychotic disorders also

psychiatric hospitals.

Can you differentiate for the radio audience what a psychotic episode or what a what a

psychotic What does it mean.

A psychotic youngster is. Most easily explained as being out of

contact with reality either for long periods of time or for

short episodic periods. In other words they can be out of

contact one minute and in contact another minute.

Could you describe what it means to be out of contact when a killer is

daydreaming out of contact.

In some ways you could say yes except that he has the ability to pull himself back into the

real world.

But how would a parent know when a child is out of contact as compared to daydreaming or how would a

school teacher and all of us.

The behavior would be more prevalent and the

conversation would not hang together. For example if

you asked a child like this a question from a child might if you ask How are you

today. The child might respond.

Chesterfield Cigarettes.

Tastes great. So it was a more our slogan

Islam could be a sign of the start of behavior.

Yes. What are the kinds of things that could could

somebody like a teacher or a mother be looking for you if a child is acting

peculiar in some other way dressing peculiar.

You're talking now about the psychotic Yes. Well the psychotic

youngster who.

You know you've caught me in a point where I'm trying to visualize some of these

youngsters.

They might walk around with cigarettes hanging out of their ears and nose and this is not the

playfulness that you might get with a teenager. This is a

serious kind of thing where if you try to interrupt them they become quite upset.

These are the youngsters who might calm their here into their face so that you

can tell the back of their hand from the front of their head.

Well a lot of kids comb their hair into their face on their

foreheads particularly today is that psycho psychotic behavior.

This belongs to another piece of belonging in an adolescent world it's sometimes

difficult to grow up.

So it's normal while I say this is the sort of thing though where you never see a

child's face.

Because they're deliberately hiding the double Radhika like in the letter

described as not very nice. Well tell us what kind of

other problems children do.

Well I've mentioned a whole range of them. Perhaps an acting out

depression might mean something and clue you in a little on

what some of these kids do.

I remember a girl named Terry who was in her freshman year at one of the suburban

schools a very very beautiful girl tall slim long

hair. Her father was a professional man very very

concerned with his own youth. The mother was rather typical suburban

housewife concerned primarily with with being a wife and a mother.

Carrie in her freshman year became involved in a long series

of what looked like and Truly were delinquent activities. She

stole. Even though her parents had money to buy

things. She became involved with a drinking club group of

kids and was producing the group illegally.

She began running with a group composed of both Negro and white

kids and got herself. Very very involved to a

point where she was physically in danger was running away from home

and finally culminated by stealing enough money to take a plane.

Ride to Florida and she fully. She told

parents that she didn't wanted nothing to do with them and she was going to make it on her own. Now this was

a 14 year old girl when she was brought to the hospital.

How did she come to the hospital.

The running away certainly precipitated and certainly when the parents became aware

of the extent of her involvement I mean they were they were before when I was like you know very very

often parents are not. Familiar with what is going on here.

She came to the hospital too because she threatened suicide.

Oh I see. So there was a principle uniting factor for the parents really to be a spirit

of this was really something terrible.

Yes and many children come to the hospital because of this. They either

talk suicide or attempt suicide. This is

enough to scare any parent you might recognise in your child

self-destructive kind of thing when a kid doesn't go to school. When a kid is drinking

when a kid baby is on drugs or isn't achieving in school but you can

sort of kid yourself into thinking that you know this will pass. But when a

child talks suicide it takes a. Parent off

guard and they really know that they have to get them someplace where they're safe.

So any time a child mentions this or says this to a parent I think that they should be very much

alert. Yes it's something that a red flag very very

much so that this child had referred to the hospital to a physician or

the mother and father just walking with the child.

You know the school when they became aware of the fact that she had gone to

Florida began to. Investigate and to

talk with some of her classmates and many of these things then came out in the open.

Parents were told then that their recommendation was that the child be

under psychiatric care. Parents in this instance.

Would have preferred to believe that she was a bad girl rather than a

sick girl because that would be bad in the basics.

I don't think that either you or I would say that this is just typical though for some

suburban families or so some people it's much easier sometimes to accept the fact

that your child could be bad with you than to accept the fact that they could be.

So then this child then came to us through an agency and came into the hospital. That's right.

Is this typical of children coming into your program.

Children are referred either by schools family physicians who

become aware of the difficulty from private practitioners. By

this I mean psychologists social workers. Psychiatrists

in other areas outside of the Chicago and mediate Chicago area.

Social agencies. Lawyers. Were

getting a much wider kind of range of referral as more people

become aware.

So there are people who are picking up some of these dangerous signals and owner flyers for

example are becoming much more aware.

Of. Kids.

Well apparently when you have something to do with the education of the case finders apparently outside.

I think this is very true particularly here at Forest Hospital we

have been very concerned with educating people in the immediate neighborhood and

we have held seminars for schoolteachers and counsellors we have

served as consultants to some school districts.

And tricky cases that give organized courses for people who are

handling normal children in schools as well as parents.

At this point no.

Are there any educational systems now available in Chicago or in suburbia.

Oh the Institute for analysis is running a new course

for school teachers. I say. We are doing our own

ins. Service Training School teachers.

Who. Work with the children who are on the program so you have a regular school here.

Yes.

Well could you describe the school possibly in treatment of these patients

were used to describe the school as a one room country schoolhouse and it's now

grown to be a two room country schoolhouse for the 10 kids who

are on the program. We have two school teachers now they qualified

schoolteachers most of them are qualified and are certified by the state of Illinois.

They work. In the school room but are also considered as part of our

treatment team. What do I mean by that. The teachers.

Have daily communication with the rest of the treating staff so that all of

us are familiar with what any one kid is doing at any

one point. We then can. Work

out an educational plan that best fits their child's needs.

So you have an organized therapeutic approach in the hospital such.

Could you tell us something about that. You mentioned school before.

School phobia really have to do with separation anxiety. That's another

big term to throw away. Separation anxiety means an

inability to separate without experiencing a painful feeling

which makes one want not to separate.

We talk about separating from home well most in most instances it is

a mother and child both of whom are mutually reluctant

to separate times.

So this is. And will require some intervention to allow the mother and father mother

and child to separate.

It gets very complicated truly because you have to trace the threads of the

dependent relationship that EACH OTHER Mrs Wilson I want to who could

talk a little bit more about.

The child and what happens within the hospital system who is

hospitalized phobic child or any other child you get in the hospital.

Who treats the child. Each child has a

primary therapist who is either an attending. Sic.

A psychiatrist and the attending staff or a psychiatrist. The House

staff. The adolescent has a primary therapist

who is responsible for the individual psychotherapy which is actually the nucleus

of the whole treatment plan. In addition I mentioned the two

school teachers who are and now. We have child is a rival school

program is it five days a week five days a week from 9:00 until

12:00 with a supervised study hall from one until two. So it's a half day really.

Yes the reason for this is that like any child only so much

energy is available to them. The emotionally disturbed child is

expanding energy in their illness which then makes it not available to him and

learning. Matter of fact I was thinking about this the other day and over the years

I can remember only one child. Whose illness did not affect their

schoolwork. So that.

We could not. Feel that we should expose these kids to a whole day

of school. Do they have normal school.

Oh yes the subjects are the same as you would find in any suburban school in

fact I rather suspect that the demands placed on these children

here in our particular school setting are probably more than would be

placed and some of the tracks and suburban school children accomplish more within the

home and children have a program 10 children.

And I would change your stance right. That sounds like a very heavy group of teachers just

for two of her 10 children.

Well as I said before these children have only a limited amount of energy

available to them so that special teaching techniques do have to be

used. The state of Illinois has said that the maximum number of

children can be in a classroom with a teacher is

seven. So you know we are under this because

we are concerned that these children get the maximum benefit from their education.

This educational program acceptable to.

The regular school programs road to the short end of grades for this school.

Yes we have worked out a very very nice relationship with schools

who send youngsters. That range with us with

schools where youngsters. Home.

B longs what I'm saying is that rather than have our

school accredited the home school where the youngster belongs

agrees to keep him in their roles and it credits the work that is

done here and accepts the grade which we give him. That's interesting why should they do that.

Well you know it really is in the best interest of the child.

I say the child who feels that his own home school cares enough about him

to do this kind of thing to send you newspapers and really to be

waiting for him to come back is in a much better position than the child who

feels his school has forgotten him.

Can you describe the therapy of a child who comes in the hospital by the way how long does travel remain

last for when he gets sick.

Our experience has shown that it takes. Anywhere from six

months to 18 months to affect any real change.

By this I mean an internal change not just the removal of a surface kind of

behavior.

Your pictures of disturbed children by the way.

Yes we do treat schizophrenia youngsters who truly are the most

seriously disturbed and one of the ones most difficult to

treat.

Maybe I can tell you a little bit about Jane who came to us that's a fictitious

name right.

OK. You know I wouldn't be telling anybody real names. Game was.

A little waif like child who arrived with long hair.

And a guitar in her arm.

Her writing was so disturbed that

it took a 9 by 12 sheet of paper for her to write.

A three letter word which was barely legible to anyone.

The handwriting certainly reflected the kind of confused world in which

this child lived. Knowing a little about her background might help you to see how

she got to the place where. Her father was a professional

man.

Her mother. A rigid controlling woman.

Who when Jane was growing up refused to give her coloring books

feeling that this would stifle her creativity. So Jane never really

learned to stay inside the lines. She never really even knew that there

were any lines to stay inside and a coloring book.

This teaches a child limes or.

A coloring book can teach a child. In her no control.

Well that's interesting. This girl never had this experience.

When she hit adolescence. All the internal controls that mother

he had tried to impose with words. Dissolved.

With the impact of the impulses that analysts at adolescence she just didn't know

what to do with any of them. Gradually she

came. To establish meaningful

relationships where she wanted to please someone and for the

someone she wanted to please she could give up wearing the same

dress every day. She could give up her beloved red shoes and she could

gradually begin. To really look at the world of

reality and to test how she wished to conform and how she did not wish

to conform. When mother had done strange things like saying.

You must help me come unpack the groceries. Jane would be in and I.

Would say I have to get dressed. And mother would say you must come. She would pull her out

to the car and when she got around to the car would scream. What are you doing out in the street with your

nightgown. That's nice. Well you know if you had to grow up with a.

Parent who said Do one thing and as soon as you did it they immediately

challenged you and said Where what.

Why are you doing this. It might leave you in a pretty frozen position of

feeling you better not do anything. And this literally is what happened.

How do you treat a child like this in the hospital. When I

said gradually Jane grew to have a relationship.

This is probably the key to the whole thing. Once

you catch the rabbit art catch the attention of the

adolescent. Treatment can be you know

who treats the adolescent.

Well I rather suspect that the only honest answer to that is everyone who comes into

contact with the adolescent who is everyone.

Nurses maintenance men. Teachers

doctors. Administrators. They're open.

Visitors. Their own. Peer group in the. Hospital.

The adult patient.

Who is identified within the treatment program of the adolescent program

is your friend if you like me to name names. And well guess what kinds of people.

Doctor who are with an. Analytic and analyst and a

psychiatrist is the director of the adolescent program.

Because you have other responsibilities except this. Yes he.

Also is attempting to formulate a program for

young adults which me. Be very similar to

the program which we now have been in operation for the adolescents and we really

feel that if this thing got off the ground the needs of these young people

and young adults will be much more adequately here.

Who else was there involved in the program.

Well I've already mentioned it to teachers and the other people perhaps though you'd like to

know that besides individual therapy there is group therapy for the

adolescents and we have a parent group which is a group

therapy for the parents of all of the kids.

Ask the life your thoughts on what you know a very

interesting program. And very well equipped. Is this a program that

people can afford.

Psychiatric illness is an expensive kind of thing. However with

a broader base insurance coverage treatment costs.

Can be defrayed by insurance. And many people now carry major

medical.

Is there any group that supports the adolescent program except parents and third

party peers like.

Bluecross Forest Hospital Foundation has been very generous

in financing the adolescent program very recently.

In the last year thirty five thousand dollars was given from the

forest. Hospital Foundation for the operation of this program.

Thank you very much Mrs. Wilson the assistant director of the Lawson program for thoughts on this more score.

You have just heard another in the series the search for mental health produced by

forced hospital in this Plaines Illinois in cooperation with this station.

During this series physicians and other professional personnel working in the

area of mental health at Forest Hospital a hundred bed treatment facility

will discuss the latest advances in mental health care research and

education. Other topics such as alcoholism

adolescent behavior and marital problems problems of the aged and

others will be presented on the search for mental health.

The host for this series is Mr. Morris Squire administrator of Forest Hospital.

The search for mental health is produced and directed by Jack rigamarole.

This program was distributed by national educational radio. This is the

national educational radio network.