TEACHING ABOUT MENTAL SUBNORMALITY TO THE MEDICAL STUDENT AND PHYSICIAN: A CONFERENCE REPORT

Abstract

MENTAL SUBNORMALITY is defined officially by the World Health Onganization as incomplete or insufficient general development of the mental capacities. It has two components: mental deficiency and mental retardation. Mental retardation is present when the social and educational performance is lower than that expected from a knowledge of intellectual abilities. Mental deficiency is diminution of the mental capacities themselves as a result of pathological processes. Individuals with organic disease of the brain may have additional impairment of intellectual functioning as the result of adverse environmental circumstances. It seems clean that advances in medical care have resulted in increasing survival of infants with brain damage, and more attention is being paid to the problem of subnormal mental functioning as well as to other neuropsychiatric disabilities. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reflected this increased interest by organizing a Section on Child Development and appointing a group to study formation of a separate Committee on Mental Retardation. The forthcoming report of the President's Panel on Mental Retardation will undoubtedly include consideration of the role of the official pediatric organizations as well as that of the individual pediatrician. In 1957 a conference on Teaching Mental Retardation in Medical Education was held. As its name implies, it was restricted to the problems of physician education. However, the relationship between physicians and other professionals concerned with providing services to the mentally subnormal was not considered. The report represents the consensus of members of the conference as to the most fruitful approach to engaging the interest of the physician, from the time he starts as a medical student, and mobilizing it in the most constructive fashion.