Law Forum Experts Agree Americans Not Too Neurotic

Four experts--who were called together in a Law School Forum last night to discuss "Psychiatry in Neurotic America"--agreed that America was not so neurotic after all.

Gordon W. Allport '19, professor of Psychology, stated that the major American social invention of this century was the emphasis on "growth from within" in education. But at the same time, he asserted, there have been continual onslaughts against the ideas of democracy by forces of dictatorship and hysteria.

Dr. Karen Horney, Dean of the American Institute for Psychoanalysis, defended the position that there is not short cut to healthy human growth and that no psychotherapeutic treatment can succeed unless there is a change within the patient. She rejected the idea of man adjusting to society, saying that he has a natural desire to grow, "like an acorn has a natural desire to grow into an oak."

"Prophylactic Agent"

Dr. George E. Gardner, director of the Baker Child Guidance Center, called for a co-ordination of all disciplnes to improve the country's mental health. "The 5,000 psychiatrists in America today are inadequate to handle these problems," he said.

The Reverend Robert C. Leslie, chaplain of Boston State Hospital, called the church a "prophylactic agent" in society, whose job is prevention. He also told stories about cooperation between psychiatrists and ministers, and suggested that religion and psychiatry could work together closely.

There was an abnormally large number of questions from the audience, since the four speakers generally confined their answers to the theoretical level, and did not disagree on any of the issues which were brought up.

Jerome S. Bruner, associate professor of Social Psychology, was moderator.