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Morrison-Valfre’s
FOUNDATIONS of
MENTAL HEALTH CARE
in CANADA
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Morrison-Valfre’s
FOUNDATIONS of
MENTAL HEALTH CARE
in CANADA
CANADIAN AUTHORS US AUTHOR
Adapted from Foundations of Mental Health Care, Sixth Edition, by Michelle Morrison-Valfre,
Copyright © 2017, by Elsevier, Inc.
978-0-323-35492-9 (softcover)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Reproducing passages from this book without such
written permission is an infringement of copyright law.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to: College Licensing Offi-
cer, access ©, 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, ON M5E 1E5. Fax: (416) 868-1621. All other inquiries should
be directed to the publisher, www.elsevier.com/permissions.
Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyrighted material used in this text and to
acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publisher’s attention will
be corrected in future printings.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher
(other than as may be noted herein).
Notice
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and
using any information, methods, compounds or experiments described herein. Because of rapid advances
in the medical sciences, in particular, independent verification of diagnoses and drug dosages should be
made. To the fullest extent of the law, no responsibility is assumed by Elsevier, authors, editors or con-
tributors for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence
or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in
the material herein.
To my family, Rita, Bob, Rose, Colin, Linda, and Shirley for a lifetime
of support and encouragement. Special thanks to Chris Gray just for
being there and more thanks than I have words to express to my mentor
and friend, Professor Jonathon Bradshaw.
Eric MacMullin
REVIEWERS
John Collins, PhD, MA, Dip. Ed(NT), BA(Hons), DPSN, Holldrid Odreman, RN, MScN-Ed, PhD
CMS(dist.), RN, RPN Professor of Nursing
President/CEO, John Collins Consulting Inc. School of Nursing
Instructor, BSN Program Niagara College
Vancouver Community College Welland, Ontario
Vancouver, British Columbia
Kathlyn Palafox, BSN, BCPID
Cheryl Derry, RN, CAE Practical Nursing Program Coordinator
Instructor, Practical Nursing Secondary Senior Educational Administrator
School of Health and Human Services Canadian Health Care Academy
Assiniboine Community College Surrey, British Columbia
Brandon, Manitoba
Angela Rintoul, NP, MN-ANP
Thomas Gantert, RN, MBA, PhD Coordinator
Professor of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
Fanshawe College Algonquin College
London, Ontario Pembroke, Ontario
vii
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TO T H E I N ST RU C TOR
Morrison-Valfre’s Foundations of Mental Health Care in Unit IV, Patients With Psychological Problems, explores
Canada, first edition, is intended for students and practition- common behavioural responses and therapeutic interven-
ers of the health care professions. Basic and advanced learn- tions for illness, hospitalization, loss, grief, and depression.
ers will find the information in this text useful and easy to Maladaptive behaviours and mental health disorders are
apply in a variety of practice settings. Students in fields such described in chapters on somatoform, anxiety, eating, sleep-
as nursing, social work, respiratory therapy, physiotherapy, ing, mood, sexual, and dissociative disorders.
recreational therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, The chapters in Unit V, Patients With Psychosocial
and medical assisting will find concise explanations of adapt- Problems, relate to the important social concerns of anger
ive and maladaptive human behaviours, as well as the most (and its expressions), suicide, abuse and neglect, acquired
current therapeutic interventions and treatments. immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and substance use.
Practising health care providers—all who care for patients Sexual and personality disorders are also discussed. Chapters
in a therapeutic manner—will find this book a practical and on schizophrenia and chronic mental illness focus on a multi-
useful guide in any health care setting. disciplinary approach to treatment. The text concludes with
At its core, this text has three main goals: a chapter titled “Challenges for the Future,” which prepares
1. To help soften the social distinction between mental students for the coming changes in mental health care.
“health” and mental “illness”
2. To assist all health care providers in comfortably work-
ing with patients who exhibit a wide range of maladaptive
STANDARD FEATURES
behaviours • Several key features are repeated throughout the text:
3. To apply the concepts of holistic care when assisting Objectives stated in specific terms and a list of Key Terms
patients in developing more adaptive attitudes and behav- (most with pronunciations) and page numbers.
iours • The nursing process is applied to specific mental health
Unit I, Mental Health Care: Past and Present, provides a challenges throughout the text, with emphasis on multi-
framework for understanding mental health care. The evolu- disciplinary care. This helps readers understand the inter-
tion of care for persons with mental challenges from primitive actions of several health care disciplines and determine
to current times is described. Selected ethical, legal, social, where they fit in the overall scheme of managed care.
and cultural issues relating to mental health care are explored. • A continuum of responses describes the range of behav-
Community mental health care is explained, followed by iours associated with each topic.
chapters pertaining to theories of mental illness and comple- • Development throughout the life cycle relates to the
mentary and alternative therapies. A chapter on psychothera- aspect of each personality being studied.
peutic medication therapy ends the unit. • Clinical disorders include behavioural signs and symp-
Unit II, The Caregiver’s Therapeutic Skills, focuses on toms based on the DSM-5.
the skills and conditions necessary for working with patients. • Therapeutic interventions include multidisciplinary treat-
Eight principles of mental health care are discussed and then ment, medical management, application of the nursing pro-
applied to the therapeutic environment, the helping rela- cess, and pharmacological therapy.
tionship, and effective communications. Material devoted • Each chapter concludes with Key Points that serve as a
to self-awareness encourages readers to develop introspec- useful review of the chapter’s concepts.
tion—a necessary component for working with people who
have behavioural difficulties. Readers explore common basic
human needs, personality development, stress, anxiety, crisis,
FEATURES OF THE FIRST CANADIAN EDITION
and coping behaviours. The section concludes with a descrip- The First Canadian Edition builds on the work of the venerable
tion of the basic mental health assessment skills needed by US-based text. Information specific to Canada and Canadian
every health care provider. research, programs, and practices has been included, giving
The patients for whom we care are the subject of Unit III, readers a current and clinically relevant perspective on the
Mental Health Challenges Across the Lifespan, which focuses state of mental health care in Canada.
on the growth of “normal” (adaptive) mental health behaviours Throughout the text, a focus on the Canadian health care
during each developmental stage. The most common mental system and the influence of the Canada Health Act have been
health challenges associated with children, adolescents, adults, maintained. Medications referenced are currently used and
and older persons are discussed using the Diagnostic and available in Canada.
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a frame- Where applicable, DSM-IV diagnoses and references from
work. A chapter on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease discusses the American Psychiatric Association have been updated to
the care of patients who have cognitive impairments. the current DSM-5.
ix
x TO THE INSTRUCTOR
CHAPTER FEATURES
Case Studies contain critical thinking questions to help you
develop problem-solving skills.
xi
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ACKNOWLED GEMENT S
Much appreciation to Professor Lisa-Marie Forcier for her assistance with research and clinical
scenarios and for her dedication to battling the stigma of mental illness.
Eric MacMullin
No text is written alone. The continued support of my husband, Adolph; of my friend Marian
McCollum; and of other colleagues has provided the energy to complete this project when
my own energy was low. The guidance, expertise, and encouragement from my editors Nancy
O’Brien, Becky Leenhouts, and Mike Sheets are much appreciated. I also thank all the health care
providers who so freely share their time and expertise with those who want to learn more about
the dynamic and complex nature of human behaviour.
Michelle Morrison-Valfre
The product you are holding in your hands or viewing on your screen exists as a result of a great
deal of work, research, and review. Although authors tend to get the most obvious credit (after all,
it is our names that appear on the cover), a text of this nature would be entirely impossible if not
for the work of many dedicated publishing professionals.
Although we have worked diligently to “Canadianize” the venerable Morrison-Valfre text,
many other unsung heroes have toiled away to make this text as valuable to you, the reader, as
humanly possible. Although it would be almost impossible to list them all, there are three individ-
uals we would like to thank specifically.
Content Strategist/Acquisitions person extraordinaire Roberta Spinosa-Millman recognized
the need for a specifically Canadian, fundamental text that addresses how we—as Canadians—
approach, treat, and recognize mental health. Roberta pulled together three very different auth-
ors/mental health practitioners and set the foundation for us to work together to produce what
we consider to be an excellent text and reference. Thank you, Roberta, for the dual opportunities
of producing a text of this nature and of allowing us the honour to work together.
Somehow balancing Zen-like patience along with a subtle ability to kindly motivate and dir-
ect, Content Development Specialist Martina van de Velde worked extensively to ensure that our
efforts were consistent and relevant. Many, many thanks to her for her collaboration, profession-
alism, and kindness. Again, for the times we did not get chapters completed on time, missed a
deadline, or simply forgot, we offer apologies and, in equal measure, sincere admiration.
Finally, our “almost at the finish line” copy editor, Jerri Hurlbutt, who has a keen eye for detail,
word, and idea flow and for use of reference and Internet-accessible information, took a some-
times rough draft and turned it into something of equal measures of accuracy and art. Jerri has
also motivated and inspired us with her efficiency and work ethic. We simply cannot imagine this
final product without Jerri’s input and direction.
There are many, many others who were involved in getting this text from our brains into your
hands, and to those far-too-anonymous people, we also give our sincere thanks. Sales staff, printers,
clerical workers, technicians, and others have all played a vital role in making this text available.
Boris Bard
Eric MacMullin
Jacqueline Williamson
xiii
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CONTENTS
xv
xvi CONTENTS
1
1
The History of Mental Health Care
OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, the student will be able to: 5. Discuss the effect of World Wars I and II on attitudes
1. Develop a foundational understanding of mental health toward people with mental illnesses.
and mental illness. 6. State the major change in the care of people with
2. List the major factors believed to influence the mental illnesses that resulted from the discovery of
development of mental illness. psychotherapeutic medications.
3. Describe the role of the Church in the care of the 7. Describe the development of community mental health
mentally ill during the Middle Ages. care centres during the 1960s and 1970s.
4. Compare the major historical contributions made 8. Discuss the shift of mentally ill patients from institutional
by Philippe Pinel, Dorothea Dix, Dr. C.K. Clarke, care to community-based care.
and Clifford Beers to the care of persons with mental 9. Discuss political influences on mental health care.
disorders.
OUTLINE
Early Years, 3 Twentieth Century, 7
Nineteenth Century, 6 Twenty-First Century, 8
KEY TERMS
catchment (KĂCH-mĭnt) area (p. 8) lobotomy (lŏ-BŎT-ә-mē) (p. 7)
deinstitutionalization (dē-ĭn-stĭ-TOO-shәn-lĭ-ZĀ-shәn) lunacy (LOO-nә-sē) (p. 4)
(p. 8) mental health (MĒN-tăl) (p. 2)
demonic exorcisms (dē-MŎN-ĭk ĔK-sŏr-sĭs-әms) (p. 4) mental illness (p. 2)
electroconvulsive therapy (ē-lĕk-trō-kŏn-VŬL-sĭv THĔR- psychoanalysis (sī-kō-ă-NĂL-Ĭ-sĭs) (p. 7)
ә-pē) (ECT) (p. 7) psychotherapeutic (SĪ-kō-THĔR-ә-PŪ-tĭk) medications
health–illness continuum (cŭn-TĬN-ū-әm) (p. 2) (p. 8)
humoral (HŪ-mŏr-ăl) theory of disease (p. 3) trephining (tre-PHIN-ing) (p. 3)
Mental/emotional health is interwoven with physical health. and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her
Behaviours relating to health exist over a broad spectrum, community” (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018).
often referred to as the health–illness continuum (Fig. 1.1). Mentally healthy people successfully carry out their activities
People who enjoy robust health are placed at the higher-level of daily living, adapt to change, solve problems, set goals, pri-
wellness end of the continuum. Individuals with significant or oritize challenges, and enjoy life. They are self-aware, directed,
multiple health challenges are typically placed at the continu- and responsible for their actions. People who are able to cope
um’s opposite end. Most of us, however, function somewhere well are generally considered to be mentally healthy.
between these two extremes. As we meet with the stresses Mental health is influenced by three factors: inher-
of life, our coping abilities are repeatedly challenged and we ited characteristics, childhood nurturing, and life circum-
strive to adjust in appropriate ways. When stress is physical, stances. The risk for developing ineffective coping behaviours
the body calls forth its defence systems and wards off illness. increases when problems or deficits exist in any one of these
When stress is emotional or developmental, we respond by areas. Mental illness can impact an individual’s ability to
using our established coping behaviours or sometimes creat- cope effectively, carry out daily activities, accurately interpret
ing new (and hopefully effective) coping behaviours. reality, execute sound judgement, and have accurate insights
Mental health is the ability to exist in “a state of well-being into the many challenges of daily life.
in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can Society’s understanding of the causes of mental health
cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively challenges has changed dramatically throughout our history
2
CHAPTER 1 The History of Mental Health Care 3
(Table 1.1). As we have advanced in our knowledge of anat- masks and noises, incantations, vile odours, charms, spells, sac-
omy and physiology, our beliefs around mental health disor- rifices, and fetishes” (Kelly, 1991). Physical treatments included
ders have gone from being based in superstition to grounded blood-letting, massage, blistering, inducing vomiting, and the
in biochemical and behavioural investigations. practice of trephining—cutting holes in the skull to encourage
the evil spirits to leave. Generally, members of primitive soci-
eties with bizarre behaviours were allowed to remain within
EARLY YEARS their communities as long as their behaviours were not dis-
Illness, injury, and mental illness have concerned humanity ruptive. Severely ill or violent members of the group were often
throughout history. Physical illness and injury were easy to driven into the wilderness to fend for themselves, away from
detect with nothing but the five senses. Mental illness was the safety and support the community offered.
something different—something where the cause could not
be seen, felt, or obviously understood—and therefore a con- Greece and Rome
dition to be feared. Superstitions and magical beliefs dominated thinking until
the Greeks introduced the idea that mental illness could be
Ancient Societies rationally explained through observation. The Greeks incor-
Although historical records on ancient societies are vague, it porated many ideas about illness from other cultures. By the
can be assumed that some care was given to sick or injured sixth century bce, medical schools were well established. The
people. Some early societies believed that everything in greatest physician in Greek medicine, Hippocrates, was born
nature was alive with spirits. Illness was sometimes thought in 460 bce. He was the first to base treatment on the belief
to be caused by the influence of evil spirits or demons. that nature is a strong healing force. He felt that the role of
Treatments for mental illness focused on removing the de- the physician was to assist in, rather than direct, the healing
mons or evil spirits. Magical therapies made use of “frightening process. Proper diet, exercise, and personal hygiene were his
mainstays of treatment. Hippocrates viewed mental illness
as a result of an imbalance of humors—the fundamental ele-
HEALTH–ILLNESS CONTINUUM ments of air, fire, water, and earth. Each basic element had
a related humor or part in the body. An overabundance or
lack of one or more humors resulted in illness. This view (the
Severe Illness High-Level Wellness
humoral theory of disease) persisted for centuries.
Risk factors to Plato (427–347 bce), a Greek philosopher, recognized life
functioning in all as a dynamic balance maintained by the soul. According to
dimensions Plato a “rational soul” resided in the head and an “irrational
Fig. 1.1 The health–illness continuum, ranging from high-level well-
soul” was found in the heart and abdomen. He believed that
ness to severe illness, provides a method of identifying a patient’s if the rational soul was unable to control the undirected parts
level of health. of the irrational soul, mental illness resulted.
The principles and practices of Greek medicine became insane, it had to be the result of some external force. The
established in Rome around 100 bce, but most physicians still moon and lunar cycles were often associated with aberrant
thought that demons caused mental illness. The practice of behaviour, thus the term lunacy was coined, meaning “a dis-
frightening away evil spirits to cure mental illness was reintro- order caused by a lunar body” (Alexander & Selesnick, 1966).
duced, and its use continued well into the Middle Ages. Based In time, large institutions were established, and mentally ill
on historical evidence, Romans seemed to have shown little individuals were housed in “lunatic asylums.” Despite some
interest in the body or mind. Most Roman physicians pro- improvements in caring for such individuals, magical influ-
vided symptomatic relief and “wanted to make their patients ences were still used to explain the torments of the mind.
comfortable by pleasant physical therapies” (Alexander &
Selesnick, 1966), such as warm baths, massage, music, and Superstitions, Witches, and Hunters
peaceful surroundings. The Church’s doctrine of imposed celibacy failed to curtail
By 300 ce, multiple epidemics killed hundreds of thou- many of the clergy’s sexual behaviours, and so began an
sands of people and desolated the land (Alexander & antierotic movement that focused on women as the cause
Selesnick, 1966). Churches often became sanctuaries for of men’s lust. Women were thought to be easily influenced
the sick, and soon hospitals were built to accommodate the by the devil and other external magical forces that stirred
high numbers of sufferers. By 370 ce, Saint Basil’s Hospital men’s passions. As the historians Alexander and Selesnick
in England offered services for sick, orphaned, crippled, and (1966) note, “Psychotic women with little control over voi-
mentally troubled people. cing their sexual fantasies and sacrilegious feelings were
the clearest examples of demoniacal possession.” This cam-
Middle Ages paign, in turn, flamed the public’s mounting fear of men-
Dark Ages tally troubled people.
From about 500 ce to 1100 ce (in the Western world), priests Witch-hunting was officially launched in 1487 with the
cared for the sick as the (Christian) Church developed into a publication of the book the Malleus Maleficarum, or The
highly organized and powerful institution. Early Christians Witches’ Hammer. This was considered to be a guidebook on
believed that disease was “God’s retribution for personal or the prosecution of witches in a court of law (Kramer, 2019).
hereditary sin” (Ferngren, 2016). To cure mental illness, priests Soon thereafter, Pope Innocent VIII and the University of
performed demonic exorcisms—religious ceremonies in Cologne voiced support for this “textbook of the Inquisition.”
which patients were physically punished to drive away the evil As a result of this one publication, women as well as children
possessing spirit. Fortunately, Christian charity tempered these and mentally ill persons were tortured and burned at the stake
practices as members of the community cared for the mentally by the thousands. There were few safe havens for individuals
ill with concern and sympathy. with mental illness during these troubled times.
As time passed, medieval society declined. Repeated The first English institution for mentally ill people was
attacks from barbaric tribes led to chaos and moral decay. initially a hospice founded in 1247 by the sheriff of London.
Epidemics, natural disasters, and overwhelming taxes sig- By 1330, Bethlehem Royal Hospital had developed into a
nificantly reduced the size and influence of the middle class. lunatic asylum that eventually became infamous for its brutal
Cities, industries, and commerce disappeared or became treatments. Violently ill patients were chained to walls in
much reduced. “The population declined, crime waves small cells and were often used to provide entertainment for
occurred, poverty was abysmal, and torture and imprison- the public. Hospital staff would charge fees and conduct tours
ment became prominent as civilization seemed to slip back through the institution. Less violent patients were forced
into semi-barbarianism” (Donahue, 1996). Only monasteries to wear identifying metal armbands and beg on the streets.
remained as the last refuge of care and knowledge. Individuals who had mental health challenges were harshly
Throughout the Middle Ages, medicine and religion were treated in those times, but Bethlehem Royal Hospital, com-
interwoven. However, by 1130 laws were passed forbidding monly called Bedlam (Fig. 1.2), even with the documented
monks to practise medicine because it was considered too abuses, was a moderately preferable option.
disruptive to their way of life (Amundsen, 1978). As a result, By the middle of the fourteenth century, the European
responsibility for the care of sick people once again fell to continent had endured several devastating plagues and epi-
family members and the community at large. demics. One quarter of the earth’s population, more than
In the late 1100s, a strong Arabic influence was felt in 60 million people, perished from infectious diseases dur-
Europe. Knowledge of the Greek legacy had been retained and ing this period. The feudal system lost power and declined.
improved upon by the Arabs. They had extensive knowledge Cities began to flourish and housed a growing middle
of drugs, mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry, as well as class. As nursing historian Donahue (1996) notes, “Luxury
an awareness of the relationship between emotions and dis- and misery, learning and ignorance existed side by side.”
ease. The Arabic influence resulted in the establishment of Society was beginning to demand social reforms around
learning centres, called universities. Many were devoted to the employment and payment for work done. Ironically, as the
study of medicine, surgery, and care of the sick. age of art, medicine, and science dawned, the hunting of
Problems of the mind, however, received only spiritual “witches” became even more popular. It was a time of great
attention. Church doctrine still stated that if a person was contradictions.
CHAPTER 1 The History of Mental Health Care 5
Seventeenth Century
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, develop-
ments in science, literature, philosophy, and the arts laid the
foundations for the world we know today. Reason slowly
began to replace magical thinking, but a strong belief in
demons nonetheless persisted. The 1600s produced many
great thinkers, and knowledge of the secrets of nature brought
a sense of self-reliance. However, many people remained
uncomfortable with these changes in the sciences and other
areas and once again moved toward the security of witch-hunt-
ing as a means of protecting themselves from the un-
explainable.
Fig. 1.2 Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London. (William Hogarth, “The In the seventeenth century, conditions for the mentally ill
Rake in Bedlam,” c. 1735. From the series titled The Rake’s Prog-
ress. Copyright The British Museum, London.)
were at their worst. While physicians and theorists were mak-
ing observations and speculations about insanity, patients
were bled, starved, and beaten into submission. Treatments
The Renaissance for the mentally troubled remained in this unhappy state until
The Renaissance began in Italy around 1400 and spread the late eighteenth century.
throughout the European continent within a century.
Upheavals in economics, politics, education, and commerce Eighteenth Century
brought the world into focus. The power of the Church During the latter part of the eighteenth century, psychiatry
declined to some degree, as an intense interest in material gain developed as a separate branch of medicine. Inhumane treat-
and worldly affairs developed. At the same time, the medieval ment and vicious practices were openly questioned. In 1792,
view of the naked body as sinful changed into more positive Philippe Pinel (1745–1826), the director of two Paris hospitals,
perceptions of the human form as a result of work by artists liberated patients from their chains “and advocated accept-
such as da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Thousand-year- ance of the mentally ill as human beings in need of medical
old anatomy books were replaced by volumes with art dis- assistance, nursing care, and social services” (Donahue, 1996).
playing realistic anatomical drawings. Observation, rather During this period, William Tuke, a member of a religious order
than ancient theories, revolutionized many of the ideas of called the Quakers, helped to established asylums of humane
the day. care in England. Initially a businessman, Mr. Tuke devoted
Sixteenth-century physicians, relying on observation, much of his time to raising funds to open the York Retreat, a
began to record what they saw. Mental illness was at last being residential treatment centre where the mentally ill were to be
recognized with much less bias than before. By the mid-1500s, cared for with kindness, dignity, and decency (Reisman, 1991).
behaviours were accurately recorded for melancholia (depres- In the American colonies the Philadelphia Almshouse was
sion), mania, and psychopathic behaviours. Precise observa- erected in 1731. It accepted sick, infirm, and insane patients
tions led to classifications for different abnormal behaviours. as well as prisoners and orphans. In 1794, Bellevue Hospital
Mental problems were now thought to be caused by some in New York City was opened as a pesthouse (a shelter or
sort of brain disorder—except in the case of sexual fantasies, hospital for people who were suffering from infectious dis-
which were still considered to be God’s punishment or to eases) for the victims of yellow fever. By 1816 the hospital had
be possession by the devil. However, despite great advances enlarged to contain an almshouse for poor people, wards for
in knowledge about the brain and mental illness, the actual the sick and insane, staff quarters, and even a penitentiary.
treatment of mentally troubled people remained ineffective In 1835, in New Brunswick, on the site of a former cholera
and inhumane. hospital, a provincial lunatic asylum was established, making
it the first dedicated mental health facility in British North
The Reformation America (Austin, Kunyk, Peternelj-Taylor, et al., 2019).
Another movement that influenced the care of the sick—the In spite of some advances, the care and treatment of people
Protestant Reformation—occurred from 1517 to 1648. Many with mental illness remained harsh and indifferent. The prac-
people were displeased with the conduct of the clergy and tice of allowing poor people and family members to care for
widespread abuses occurring within the Catholic Church. the mentally ill continued well into the late 1800s and was
Martin Luther (1483–1546), a monk who had questioned only slowly abandoned. Actual care of mentally ill persons in
many of the teachings, philosophy, and restrictions of the the United States did not begin to improve until the arrival
church, and his followers broke away from the Catholic of Alice Fisher, a Florence Nightingale–trained nurse, in
6 UNIT I Mental Health Care: Past and Present
Fig. 1.5 Circulating swing and bed. (Redrawn from U.S. National
Fig. 1.3 A patient in chains in Bedlam, London’s notorious Bethle- Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.)
hem Royal Hospital. (Courtesy U.S. National Library of Medicine,
Bethesda, MD.)
NINETEENTH CENTURY
Changes that occurred during the early 1800s had an enor-
mous impact on the care of the mentally ill population. In the
early to middle parts of that century, events like the attempted
US invasion of Canada and ongoing rebellions against British
rule in Upper and Lower Canada resulted in countermeasures
to usher in political stability. Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia,
and New Brunswick became the first four provinces to form
a confederation. Many political processes became stable as a
result of this confederation, including a more organized and
structured medical care for their populations, which included
the mentally ill.
One of the most important figures in nineteenth-century
psychiatry was Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745–1813). His book,
Diseases of the Mind, was the first psychiatric text written
in the United States, advocating clean conditions (good air,
lighting, and food) and kindness. As a result of Rush’s efforts,
mentally troubled people were no longer caged in the base-
Fig. 1.4 Tranquilizing chair. (Courtesy U.S. National Library of Medi-
ments of general hospitals. However, only a few institutions
cine, Bethesda, MD.) for insane persons were available in the United States at this
time, and even fewer were in Canada.
1884. In Canada, the Hôtel Dieu, located in Quebec, pro- During the 1830s, attitudes toward mental illness slowly
vided some institutional care for “indigents, the crippled, and began to change. The “once insane, always insane” concept
idiots”; however, standards of care remained low (Hurd, 1973; was replaced with the notion that cure might be possible in
Sussman, 1998). some circumstances. A few mental hospitals were built, but the
By the close of the eighteenth century, treatments for people actual living conditions for most patients remained deplorable.
with mental illness still included the medieval practices of It was not until 1841 that a 40-year-old schoolteacher
bloodletting, purging, and confinement (Fig. 1.3). Newer ther- exposed the inherent cruelty and inhumanity of the system.
apies included demon-expelling tranquilizing chairs (Fig. 1.4) Dorothea Dix was contracted to teach Sunday school at a jail
and whirling devices (Fig. 1.5). The study of psychiatry was in in Massachusetts. While there, she saw both criminals and
its infancy, and those who actually cared for insane people still mentally ill prisoners living in squalid conditions. For the
relied heavily on the methods of their ancestors. next 20 years, Dix surveyed asylums, jails, and almshouses
CHAPTER 1 The History of Mental Health Care 7
throughout Canada, the United States, and Scotland. It was Found Itself, recounted the beatings, isolation, and confine-
not uncommon for her to find mentally ill people “confined ment of a mentally ill person. As a direct result of Beers’s
in cages, closets, cellars, stalls, and pens . . . chained, naked, work, the Committee for Mental Hygiene was formed in 1909.
beaten with rods and lashed into obedience” (Dolan, 1968). In addition to prevention, the group focused on removing
Dix presented her findings to anyone who would listen. the stigma attached to mental illness. Under Beers’s energetic
The public responded so well to Dix’s efforts that millions of guidance, the movement grew nationwide and ultimately had
dollars were raised, more than 30 mental hospitals through- a global impact. The social consciousness of a nation had
out the United States were constructed, and care of the men- finally been awakened.
tally ill greatly improved.
By the late 1800s, a two-class system of psychiatric care Psychoanalysis
had emerged: private care for the wealthy and publicly pro- In the early 1900s, a neurophysiologist named Sigmund
vided care for the remainder of society. The newly con- Freud published an article that introduced the term psycho-
structed mental institutions were quickly filled, and soon analysis to the world’s vocabulary. Freud believed that forces
chronic overcrowding began to strain the system. Cure rates both within and outside the personality were responsible for
fell dramatically. The public became disenchanted, and men- mental illness. He developed elaborate theories around the
tal illness once again was viewed as incurable. Only small, theme of repressed sexual energies. Freud was the first to
private facilities that catered to the wealthy had some degree succeed in “explaining human behavior in psychologic terms
of success. In the absence of funding from the government, and in demonstrating that behavior can be changed under
some facilities had evolved into large, remote institutions that the proper circumstances” (Alexander & Selesnick, 1966).
became partially self-reliant, while still dependent on dona- The first comprehensive theory of mental illness based on
tions and benefactors. observation had emerged, and psychoanalysis began to gain a
By the close of the nineteenth century, many of the gains in strong foothold in America (see Chapter 5).
the care of mentally ill persons had been lost. Overpopulated
institutions could offer no more than minimal custodial care. Influences of War
Theories of the day gave no satisfactory explanations about During the first World War, in the United States and to a lesser
the causes of mental health challenges, and current treat- degree in Canada, men were drafted into military service as
ments remained ineffective. It was a time of despair for men- rapidly as they could be processed. Some, however, were con-
tally troubled people and those who cared for them. sidered to be unfit mentally to engage in battle. As a result,
Dr. C.K. Clarke, a graduate of the University of Toronto, the US government called on Beers’s Committee for Mental
became highly influential in the delivery of mental health ser- Hygiene to develop a more efficient process for screening and
vices in Ontario and, ultimately, Canada. As early as 1881, treating mentally ill soldiers. The completed plan included
Dr. Clarke and his brother-in-law, Dr. William Metcalfe, methods for early identification of mental problems, removal
advocated for the removal of restraints as a regular practice of mentally troubled personnel from combat duty, and early
in mental health institutions. Sadly, Dr. Metcalfe was attacked treatment close to the fighting front. The committee also rec-
by a paranoid patient and killed; however, Dr. Clarke con- ommended that psychiatrists be assigned to station hospitals
tinued to advocate for more humane treatment for the men- to treat combat veterans with acute behavioural problems
tally ill (Pos, Walters, & Sommers, 1975). The Clarke Institute and provide ongoing psychiatric care after soldiers returned
of Psychiatry, a world-renowned treatment facility, opened to their homes.
in Toronto in 1966 and was named in honour of Dr. Clarke. Because of the war, a renewed interest in mental hygiene
In 2002, the Clarke Institute became part of the Canadian was sparked. During the 1930s, new therapies for treating
Mental Health Association (CMHA). insanity were developed. Insulin therapy for schizophre-
nia induced 50-hour comas through the administration of
massive doses of insulin. Passing electricity through the
TWENTIETH CENTURY patient’s head (electroconvulsive therapy [ECT]) helped to
The 1900s were ushered in by reform movements, marked improve severe depression, and lobotomy (a surgical pro-
by the beginnings of political, economic, and social changes. cedure that severs the frontal lobes of the brain from the
For the first time in history, disease prevention was empha- thalamus) almost eliminated violent behaviours. A new
sized. For the mentally ill population, however, conditions class of medications that lifted spirits of depressed people,
remained intolerable, until 1908 when a single individual the amphetamines, was introduced. All these therapies
began a crusade that would improve the lives of millions of improved behaviours and made patients more receptive to
mentally ill individuals. Freud’s psychotherapy.
Clifford Beers was a young student at Yale University when During World War II, many draftees were still rejected for
he attempted suicide. Consequently, he spent 3 years as a enlistment because of mental health problems. A large num-
patient in mental hospitals in Connecticut. Upon his release ber of soldiers received early discharges based on psychiatric
in 1908, Beers wrote a book that would set the wheels of the disorders, and many active-duty personnel received treat-
mental hygiene movement in motion. His book, A Mind That ment for psychiatric issues.
8 UNIT I Mental Health Care: Past and Present
The effects of the Korean War of the 1950s, the Vietnam no longer necessary. It was believed that people with mental
War of the 1960s and 1970s, and other armed conflicts disorders could live within their communities and work with
contributed significant knowledge to the understanding their therapists on an outpatient basis.
of stress-related problems. Post-traumatic stress disorders
became recognized among soldiers fighting wars. Today, Adult Community Mental Health Programs
stress disorders are considered the basis of many emotional As the population of people with mental illnesses shifted
and mental health problems. from the institution to the community, the demand for
community mental health supports expanded. To meet this
Introduction of Psychotherapeutic Medications demand, adult community mental health programs were
Psychotherapeutic medications are essentially chemicals developed.
that exert an effect on the mind. These drugs alter emotions, At these centres, the needs of people with mental health
perceptions, and consciousness in several ways. They are used challenges might be met. Physicians (psychiatrists), nurses,
in combination with various therapies for treating mental ill- and various therapists would develop therapeutic relation-
ness. Psychotherapeutic medications are also called psycho ships with patients and monitor their progress within the
pharmacological agents, psychotropic drugs, and psychoactive community setting. Each centre was to provide comprehen-
drugs. sive mental health services for all residents within a certain
Even by the 1950s, despite the many significant gains geographic region, called a catchment area.
in treatment options, effective therapies were still limited. It was believed that community mental health centres
Treatments consisted primarily of psychoanalysis, insulin would provide the link in helping mentally ill people make the
therapy, ECT, and water/ice therapy. More violent patients transition from the institution to the community, thus meet-
were physically restrained in straitjackets or underwent lo- ing the goal of humane care delivered in the least restrictive
botomies. Medication therapy consisted of sedatives (chloral way. Unfortunately, most chronically mentally ill people were
hydrate and paraldehyde), barbiturates (phenobarbital), and “dumped” into their communities before realistic strategies,
amphetamines that quieted patients and rendered them less programs, and facilities were in place.
of a nuisance to the public and caregivers but did little to treat Community mental health centres expanded throughout
their illnesses. the 1980s, but funding remained inadequate and sporadic.
In 1949, an Australian physician, John Cade, discov- Demands for services overwhelmed the system and many
ered that lithium carbonate was effective in controlling the services began to close their doors, reduce supports, or
severe mood swings seen in bipolar (manic-depressive) limit the number of patients they would see, leaving a large
illness. With lithium therapy, many chronically ill patients population of vulnerable people on their own with little to
were again able to lead normal lives and were released no support.
from mental institutions. Encouraged by the apparent
success of lithium, researchers began to explore the possi-
bility of controlling mental illness with the use of various
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
new drugs. In 2006, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) con-
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) was introduced in 1956 ducted the “first comprehensive survey and grading of adult
and proved to control or reduce many of the bizarre mental health care systems conducted in more than 15 years”
behaviours observed in schizophrenia and other psycho- in the United States (it was updated in 2009) (NAMI, 2009).
ses (Keltner & Folks, 2005). The 1950s concluded with the The results revealed a fragmented system, poorly equipped
introduction of imipramine, the first antidepressant. Soon to meet the needs of its target population. Recommendations
other drugs, such as antianxiety agents, became available focused on increased funding, availability of care, access to
for use in treatment. care, and greater involvement of consumers and their fam-
As more patients were able to control their behaviours ilies.
with drug therapy, the demand for hospitalization decreased. Today, many of our population’s most severely men-
Many people with mental disorders could now live and func- tally ill people still wander the streets in abject poverty and
tion outside the institution. At this time, governments began homelessness as a result of an inability to access resources.
the movement called deinstitutionalization, the release of Adult community mental health centres have closed their
large numbers of mentally ill persons into the community. doors or drastically reduced their services. The original
The introduction of psychotherapeutic drugs opened the goals of comprehensive care, education, rehabilitation, pre-
doors of institutions and set the stage for a new delivery vention, training, and research were lost in the efforts to
approach, community-based mental health care. curtail costs.
The 1960s were filled with social changes. With the intro- Countries such as Canada, the United States, the United
duction of psychotherapeutic drugs came the concept of the Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia are faced with similar
“least restrictive alternative.” If patients could, with medica- mental health care issues. It is in the best interests of all coun-
tion, control their behaviours and cooperate with treatment tries to accept the challenge of providing for our societies’
plans, then the controlled environment of the institution was mental and physical health care needs.
CHAPTER 1 The History of Mental Health Care 9
OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, the student will be able to: 5. Describe components of the case management method of
1. Describe the current mental health care systems in mental health care.
Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the 6. Discuss the roles and purpose of the multidisciplinary
United States. mental health care team.
2. State one major difference between inpatient and 7. Name high-risk populations served by community
outpatient psychiatric care. mental health centres.
3. Explain the community support systems model of care. 8. List community-based mental health services for high-
4. List settings for community mental health care delivery. risk populations.
OUTLINE
Mental Health Care in Canada, 10 Consultation, 14
Mental Health Care in Industrialized Countries, 11 Resource Linkage, 15
Norway, 11 Advocacy, 15
The United Kingdom, 11 Therapy, 15
Australia, 11 Crisis Intervention, 15
The United States, 11 The Multidisciplinary Mental Health Care Team, 15
Care Settings, 12 Care Team, 16
Inpatient Care, 12 Patient and Family, 16
Outpatient Care, 12 Patient Populations, 16
Community Support Systems Model, 12 Impact of Mental Illness, 18
Delivery of Community Mental Health Services, 13 Incidence of Mental Illness in Canada, 18
Community Care Settings, 14 Economic Issues, 18
Case Management, 14 Social Issues, 18
Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 14
KEY TERMS
advocacy (ĂD-vә-kә-sē) (p. 15) inpatient psychiatric (ĬN-PĀ-shәnt sī–k-Ē-ăt-rĭc) care
case management (KĀS MĂN-ăge-MĬNT) (p. 14) (p. 12)
community (kă-MŪN-ĭ-tē) mental health centres (p. 13) multidisciplinary (MŬL-tĭ-dĭ-sĭ-plә-nă-rē) mental health
community support (kă-MŪN-ĭ-tē să-PŎRT) systems care teams (p. 16)
(CSS) model (p. 12) outpatient (ŎWT-PĀ-shәnt) mental health care (p. 12)
consultation (KŎN-sŬl-TĀ-shәn) (p. 14) psychosocial rehabilitation (sī-kō-SŌ-shәl RĒ-hă-bĭl-ә-
crisis intervention (KRĪ-sĭs ĬN-tәr-VәN-shәn) (p. 15) TĀ-shәn) (p. 14)
homelessness (HŌM-lĕs-nĕs) (p. 18) recidivism (rē-SĬD-ĭ-vĭz-әm) (p. 12)
resource linkage (RĒ-sŏrs LĒNK-әg) (p. 15)
BOX 2.1 Principles of the Canada Health Act Financing and delivery of health care services occur on three
(1984) levels. Health policy is legislated, and health service delivery is
monitored by national authorities. Hospitals and specialized
• P ublic Administration: Provincial insurance programs medical services are managed by Norway’s 19 counties, whereas
must be publicly accountable for the funds they spend. primary health care services are organized on the municipal
Provincial governments determine the extent and amount
level. Mental health care is available to all citizens of Norway.
of coverage of insured services. Moreover, management
of provincial health insurance plans must be carried out by
a not-for-profit authority, which can be part of government
The United Kingdom
or an arm’s-length agency. All British citizens are provided health care through a govern-
• Accessibility: Canadians must have reasonable access to ment-managed national health care system. The Secretary for
insured services without charge or paying user fees. Social Services is responsible for setting fees for private health
• Comprehensiveness: Provincial health insurance pro- care providers, budgets for hospitals, and salaries for hospital
grams must include all medically necessary services. The physicians. Parliament allocates funds for the health care system
Canada Health Act defines comprehensiveness broadly to and regulates the rates at which general practitioners are paid.
include medically necessary services “for the purpose of Tax revenues provide most of the financing for health care.
maintaining health, preventing disease, or diagnosing or Mental health care is available for all British citizens as part
treating an injury, illness or disability.”
of the standard benefit package. Physician services, emer-
• Universality: Provincial health insurance programs must
insure Canadians for all medically necessary hospital and
gency surgeries, hospital stays, and prescription drugs, along
physician care. The condition also means that Canadians with preventive, home, and long-term care, are all provided
do not have to pay an insurance premium in order to be by the government. Eye care is not included and dental care
covered through provincial health insurance. is limited, but all other basic health care needs are provided.
• Portability: Canadians are covered by a provincial insur- Private insurance is also available.
ance plan during short absences from that province.
Australia
Modified from Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). (2000). Fact sheet:
The Canada Health Act. Author. https://www.cna-aiic.ca/∼/media/cna/ Australians are provided an interesting mix of health care
page-content/pdf-en/fs01_canada_health_act_june_2000_e.pdf plans. The government provides a public health plan that cov-
ers all public hospitals and physician services. Also available is a
comprehensiveness, universality, and portability. Each guid- national private plan, which supplements the basic public plan.
ing principle is explained in Box 2.1. In addition, numerous private insurance plans are available for
Each province or territory organizes, administers, and eye care, rehabilitative services, and psychiatric treatment.
monitors the health care delivery system of its citizens. National health care is financed by a tax on all citizens
Benefits may vary, but all Canadian citizens are eligible for above a certain income. Policy and budget decisions are made
diagnostic, emergency, outpatient, medical, hospital, conva- at the federal level. Individual states are responsible for the
lescent, and mental health services. The agency responsible administration and delivery of health care services that are
for the health of Canadians is Health Canada. It provides available through local government agencies, semi-volun-
technical and financial support for each provincial health tary agencies, and profit-oriented, nongovernmental organ-
care program, enforces federal food and drug laws, promotes izations. The Mental Health Bill of 2013 addresses fairness,
health, and administers social welfare programs. accountability, and inclusion of significant others when car-
Across Canada, physician-provided mental health care ing for the mentally ill in Australia’s basic health plan.
is covered by provincial/territorial health care systems. This
is not the case for other allied health professionals, such as The United States
psychologists, social workers, or mental health counsellors. Health care in the United States is based on the private insur-
Approximately 80% of psychologist consultations occur ance model. Currently, approximately 90% of US citizens are
within the private for-profit system (Steele, Dewa, Lin et al., covered by private insurance or public programs (Medicare
2007; Government of Canada, 2006). and/or Medicaid), leaving roughly 10% having no health care
coverage. Rates vary by state, with Texas having the highest
MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN INDUSTRIALIZED rate of uninsured and Massachusetts having almost 100%
COUNTRIES coverage. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act
(ACA; Obamacare) system of health care delivery, the rate of
Norway health care coverage increased; however, implementation of
Like other European countries, Norway has adopted a this model is at risk because of changes in government and
national insurance system. The National Insurance Act of individual states rejecting ACA coverage.
1967 provides access to health care for everyone living in The distinction between public and private mental health
Norway. Employees contribute a percentage of their wages care financing is beginning to blur. Federal funds (Medicare)
and pay out-of-pocket fees for health care until a “payment and state funds (Medicaid) are being used to cover costs
ceiling” (about $175) is reached. Thereafter, all services are in both the private and public sectors. Currently, Medicare
covered except adult dental care. funds about 30 to 50% of all state mental health systems.
12 UNIT I Mental Health Care: Past and Present
dynamic society. Supervision is limited, and the responsib- Rehabilitation Family and Peer support
services community support
ility for controlling behaviour lies squarely with the individ-
ual. Patients are assessed in relation to their environment and Fig. 2.1 Community support system. (Modified from Stuart,
therapies are designed to assist them in functioning appro- G. W. [2013]. Principles and practice of psychiatric nursing [10th ed.].
priately within their communities. The number of outpatient Mosby.)
CHAPTER 2 Current Mental Health Care Systems 13
individuals with basic human needs, ambitions, and rights. The developed slowly, but the CSS model of mental health care is
goal of the CSS model is to create a support system that fos- proving to be one of the most comprehensive and workable
ters individual growth and movement toward independence concepts for aiding mentally ill persons (Johnson, 2017).
through the use of coordinated social, medical, and psychiatric
services. Effective community support systems are consumer DELIVERY OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
oriented, culturally appropriate, flexible enough to meet indi-
vidual needs, accountable, and coordinated. A typical program
SERVICES
may include services such as health care, housing, food, income Mental health services and support systems are available
support, rehabilitation, advocacy, and crisis response (Fig. 2.1). through a variety of community agencies, support groups,
Community mental health centres are outpatient settings and civic organizations. Services focus on prevention, main-
that reflect the CSS model by providing a comprehensive range tenance, and treatment of mental health conditions and
of services. Many have forged strong links with commun- rehabilitation of persons with mental health challenges.
ity agencies, services, and government. Other centres have Some agencies or groups limit their focus to one area (e.g.,
14 UNIT I Mental Health Care: Past and Present
effectively with patient challenges. The case management sys- normal circumstances could provoke a crisis for someone
tem relies on the expertise of psychiatrists, nurses, psychol- who has a significant mental health challenge. A crisis results
ogists, social workers, counsellors, and various therapists to whenever we feel that we have lost our ability to use our
find ways for patients to receive the services and support that usual problem-solving and coping skills. Common sources of
help them to achieve their goals. For example, a nurse might crisis include the loss of a loved one, change in employment
work with a patient on reliably taking prescribed medication, circumstances, or being victimized. Experiencing a crisis is
while a social worker might locate supported housing, and a common to all people and is not limited only to individuals
vocational counsellor could seek out an appropriate work set- with previous or pre-existing mental health challenges.
ting. By covering all the bases, care providers hope to main- Crisis intervention describes a short-term, active ther-
tain patients in the least restrictive setting (the community) apy that focuses on solving the immediate problem and
and assist them with their needs. restoring the patient’s previous level of functioning. Crisis
services help stabilize the patient, prevent further deterior-
Resource Linkage ation, and support the patient’s readjustment process. The
The process of matching patients’ needs with the most appro- use of crisis services also results in better distribution of
priate community services best describes resource linkage. resources. Emergency department visits decrease, rehos-
Health care providers have traditionally referred patients to pitalization is reduced or prevented, and law enforcement
other services, but resource linkage adds the component of resources are better focused on those who break the law
periodic monitoring. The advantages of coordinating and link- instead of apprehending individuals with mental health
ing services are several: patients can be more easily moved into challenges. For patients with severe, treatment-resistant
different programs because background information moves mental challenges, a new approach, known as continuous
with them; duplication of services is avoided; and as a patient’s intensive case management, is being used.
level of functioning improves, services can be tailored to sup- A highly flexible model of care, known as assertive com-
port the new, more effective behaviours. With resource linkage, munity treatment (ACT), provides “medical, psychosocial, and
the focus for treatment of patients is on care instead of the more rehabilitation services by a community-based team that oper-
traditional emphasis on psychiatric symptoms and illness. ates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day” (Salkever, Domino, Burns,
et al., 1999). The team usually consists of social workers, nurses,
vocational specialists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists,
CRITICAL THINKING peer support workers, and addictions specialists. Patients are
You are a health care provider who has recently moved to this seen individually and in supportive therapy groups. This team
area. As a staff member in a community mental health clinic, of professionals collaborates with the patient by providing
you are responsible for helping refer patients to appropriate 24-hour supports and assistance, including administration
agencies. of medication, access to community services, attending vari-
• How would you go about locating agencies in the com- ous appointments and follow-up services, and even assistance
munity that provide services for mentally ill individuals?
with activities of daily living. Many patients also live in super-
vised housing arrangements. Table 2.2 provides a summary of
Advocacy the continuous care team’s treatment activities. In short, care
A critical concept of case management, advocacy is providing teams direct the patient’s treatment during all encounters with
the patient with the information to make certain decisions. the mental health care system.
Advocacy for mentally ill people involves more than other areas Intensive case management programs have demonstrated
of health care. Advocates work to protect patients’ rights, help that patients with chronic and severe mental illness can be
to clarify expectations, provide support, and act on behalf of effectively stabilized within the community with appropri-
patients’ best interests. Every person involved in mental health ate support systems. As the pressures of increased demand
care can act as an advocate by supporting community efforts for services and cost restrictions force the system into trying
and policies that encourage healthy living practices. new approaches, mental health care professionals must not
lose sight of the most important element in the equation—the
Therapy patient.
Therapy is provided for each patient based on assessed needs,
patient cooperation, and available services. Medications may THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY MENTAL HEALTH
be included as part of the overall plan of treatment. Therapies
may include the use of counselling, support groups, voca-
CARE TEAM
tional rehabilitation programs, and techniques to assist Professionals working within the mental health system
patients with problem-solving and adaptive behaviours. have various educational backgrounds. In the past, each
would work with patients from his or her particular point
Crisis Intervention of view or specialty. This approach resulted in disjointed,
The crisis intervention component of case management fragmented care. In some cases care providers worked at
is crucial to the success of the patient. People with chronic cross-purposes, leaving patients unsure and confused. The
mental health challenges have great difficulty in coping with need for coordinated assessment and treatment was filled
stress. What may be bothersome or inconvenient under by the multidisciplinary mental health care team concept.
16 UNIT I Mental Health Care: Past and Present
TABLE 2.2 Continuous Care Team the focus of therapeutic interventions, patients contribute
Treatment Strategies important information that may make the difference between
the success or failure of therapeutic plans. Including patients
Setting Mental Health Care Team Interventions and their families in the treatment process reflects a funda-
Community Meets with patients 2–4 times per week mental change in attitude toward those with mental illness
Accompanies patient to appointments and and their families. Today, mental illness is considered to be
other community activities manageable and even treatable.
Helps with daily living/social skill needs
Monitors medications
Nurtures relationships with persons PATIENT POPULATIONS
interested in patient’s well-being
Encourages patient to call team instead of Community mental health care was originally designed to
using ED provide prevention, education, and treatment services for all
Emergency Prearranges for ED staff to notify clinician on members living within an area or catchment. Community
department arrival of continuous care patient mental health services for the general public include crisis
Conducts assessment of patient and interventions, working with businesses to decrease costs and
planning of care jointly with ED physician improve the effectiveness of mental health programs, and
Avoids unnecessary hospitalizations providing aid for individuals and families to adjust to life dif-
Hospital Care team psychiatrist and primary therapist ficulties.
remain in charge of the patient’s case However, in every community, certain groups of people
Helps with decisions regarding admission, are at a higher risk for developing mental health challenges,
treatment, and discharge large or small. They include more obvious populations, such
Coordinates treatment with inpatient staff as homeless people, and more subtle high-risk groups, such
ED, emergency department. as children, families, adolescents, older people, people who
Modified from Arana, J. D., Hastings, B., & Herron, E. (1991). are positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or are
Continuous care teams in intensive outpatient treatment of chronic experiencing other debilitating chronic illnesses, and veter-
mentally ill patients. Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 42(5), 503–
ans of armed conflicts. People living in rural areas present a
507. ©American Psychiatric Association. Reprinted by permission.
challenge because of the distance between services.
While often ignored, homeless people can be seen in
every town and city in Canada. Studies indicate that between
Care Team 25 and 75% of these individuals have a diagnosable mental
The main purpose of the team approach to treating mental health disorder, which can also include addictions to vari-
illness is to provide effective patient care. The mental health ous substances. Who are the homeless? According to the
care team “provides a forum where psychiatrists, social organization Homeless Hub, a study in Toronto found that
workers, psychologists, nurses, and others can democratic- one third identified as being an immigrant, 45% identified as
ally share their professional expertise and develop compre- belonging to a racialized group, 22% identified as Black, and
hensive therapeutic plans for patients” (Haber, McMahon, & 9% as Indigenous (Aleman, 2016; Hwang, Ueng, Chiu, et al.,
Krainovich-Miller, 1997). The team approach can also be cost 2010). While shelters and temporary housing might be avail-
effective by preventing duplication of services and fragmen- able, many homeless individuals are reluctant or afraid to use
tation of care. Patients and their significant others contribute them. Assaults, sexual abuse, and theft are common occur-
to the plan of care and remain actively involved throughout rences, making shelters less than ideal. Sadly, many homeless
the course of treatment. people feel safer on the street, making it more difficult to pro-
Multidisciplinary mental health care teams exist in both vide consistent and therapeutic services.
inpatient and outpatient settings. The number of team members Patients with HIV infection or acquired immunodeficiency
may vary, but the core of the team is usually composed of a psych- syndrome (AIDS) are using community mental health services
iatrist, a psychologist, a nurse, and a social worker. Other team in ever-growing numbers. People with AIDS face overwhelm-
members, known as adjunct therapists, join the team as needed. ing physical, emotional, and social challenges. Mental health
Each team member holds a degree or certificate in a spe- issues associated with HIV disease include organic problems,
cialized area of mental health. This approach allows patients such as impairments in memory, judgement, or concentration
to be assessed and treated from various points of view. As data progressing to dementia. Psychosocial difficulties include anx-
are compiled, a broad, holistic picture of the patient emerges iety, depression, adjustment disorders, increased substance
and individualized therapeutic plans are developed. Table 2.3 abuse, panic disorders, and suicidal thoughts. In addition,
identifies care team members, their educational preparation, many researchers believe that stress directly affects the immune
and their function. system. Fear of AIDS may hasten the onset of complications.
AIDS-related anxiety can increase everyday apprehension in
Patient and Family the lives of many noninfected people.
No discussion of the mental health team is complete with- Comprehensive community mental health services for
out including the patient. As the consumers of services and people with HIV/AIDS are not yet available in all areas.
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across the clouds like spears of fire threatening revenge. The stone
has remained to the present day, and is known by the name of
“Koreno kardjo (dog) gambi” (stone).
PLATE XXXIV
“The chief emu man is distinguished by an extra large head-dress called the
‘Illiya Altjerra Kuta.’...”
When on the warpath, a warrior always craves to carry his tjuringa
with him, even though this is not always possible. He firmly believes
that with the talisman kept on his person, or at any rate knowing that
it is nearby, no deadly missile thrown by an enemy will penetrate his
body. The mere knowledge of the fact that his opponent has a
tjuringa with him, and he not, is sufficient to make a coward of the
bravest fighter. Should he be wounded or take ill, one of his “totem-
brothers” endeavours to produce a tjuringa, from which, if the
medicine man considers it necessary, a little powder is scraped and
handed to the patient to swallow with water.
With regard to “totem” animals which form the objects of hunting
expeditions, a man is allowed to kill and eat thereof with some
restriction. He must kill only one animal at a time, and only in
accordance with the method prescribed by the tribal fathers and
handed down to them by tradition. This is usually a straightforward
hunting method, with as little loss of blood as possible. If much blood
should flow, the hunter is obliged to cover it without delay with sand.
If possible, other men should cut up the carcase, and only certain
portions be handed to the “brother” of the slain animal.
Each tribe has an endless variety of objects (animal, vegetable,
terrestrial, meteoric, mythic, and so forth), which may figure as a
“totem.” Any one of these may be the primary motive of a separate
cult or sacred ceremony, but here again the variety is usually
reduced to the number corresponding to the most sanctimonious and
most useful creations affecting the affairs of the particular tribe.
The ceremonies take the form of either a direct worship or a
prayer for increased productivity of a certain plant or animal, either
being offered to the Knaninja or “totem” ancestors living as spirits in
the sky. Usually the two ideas are embodied in one grand ceremony,
and the method of procedure is governed by tradition. Such
ceremonies have been particularly elaborated by the Arunndta tribe,
who refer to them by the same name as that of the sacred object,
namely “Tjuringa”; less frequently they call them “Intitjuma,” the latter
name being applied more to ceremonies without worship.
The Tjuringa ceremonies are divided into grades according to their
importance and sacredness. The water ceremony is ordinarily called
“Kwatje Tjuringa,” but if the “totem” spirit ancestor is invoked to
attend, it goes by the name of “Kwatje Tjuringa Knaninja”; if the
principal spirit ancestor is assumed to be present, the title becomes
“Kwatje Tjuringa Knaninja Knurrendora”; and finally the most sacred
water ceremony of all is the “Kwatje Tjuringa Altjerra Knaninja
Knurrendora.”
As a typical illustration we shall discuss the “Illiya Tjuringa” or
Great Emu Ceremony of the eastern Arunndta groups. The date of
the performance is decided by the senior emu “brother” of the tribe,
the oldest member who claims to be related to the Illiya Knaninja.
Somewhat extensive preparations are made beginning a few days
prior to the opening event. Only fully initiated men take part, but the
women are allowed to witness certain of the most awe-inspiring
stages from a distance. Whilst the younger men are out collecting
leaves, out of which they make the down later to adorn the bodies of
the performers, the older men prepare the sacred ground. Others
slay a number of brown hawks, off which they pull the feathers and
then pluck the down. A suitable site having been selected, the old
men clear it by removing all grass and bush from the surface and
smoothing the sand with their feet. The “brothers” who claim
relationship alike to the great Emu-Man, the Emu-Knaninja, and the
emu itself, thereupon proceed to anoint the sacred ground with their
blood, for which purpose they puncture the median basilic vein of the
forearm with a quartzite chip and allow the fluid of kinship to sprinkle
upon the sand. It is surprising to see the amount of blood sacrificed
by the men on occasions like this; and time after time, when such is
required, the process is repeated. By examining the forearms of an
old stager, one can usually count a number of small scars along the
course of a vein indicating places where a perforation has at different
times been made. A venesection is made after much the same
manner among the various tribes.
The following Arunndta method will serve as an example. A
ligature of hair-string is in the first place tied tightly round the upper
arm, a little above the biceps muscle, after the style of a tourniquet to
check the flow of blood in the veins and thereby distend the vessels.
The man then makes a small longitudinal cut through the skin and
punctures the vein beneath it lengthwise; the blood spurts forth
immediately and is collected in the handle-pit of a shield. When the
flow is to be stopped, the native removes the ligature, and this in
most cases is all that is needed. Should, however, the blood
continue to come, he places a small amount of down over the
incision and presses it against the vein, or winds three or four
strands of fur-string around it. The little pad of down is usually left on
the arm until it dries and falls off. None of the women are allowed to
witness this operation, which is called “Ilgarukna.” The blood, when it
is to be used as an adhesive for the down-decoration, is applied with
a small brush (“ipinja”) made of twigs tied together with fur-string.
Vide Plate XXXIII.
The principal among the emu group is called “Illiyakuta,” and it is
he who directs the performance. He takes his followers to a secluded
place, such as a clump of timber or down a creek-bed, and there the
wooden tjuringas belonging to the ceremony are produced and
painted afresh with red ochre and emu fat.
Down is made out of the white, felty leaves and twigs of Kochia
bush, which the Arunndta call “kemba.” Small quantities of these are
placed upon a flat slab of stone and pounded with a pebble. The
fluffy material which results is next mixed and rubbed by hand with
powdered kaolin or ochre according to the colour required, the white
being known as “wadua,” the red as “wanjerra.”
A sacred object is now constructed which encloses the painted
tjuringas and is called the “Tjilbakuta.” It is about three feet high and
is made in the following way. The tjuringas are laid one on top of the
other and bound together with many lengths of human hair-string,
which completely obscure the shape of the separate pieces. A thick
layer of the stalks of the kangaroo grass (Anthistiria) is laid around
the parcel and kept in position with a few lengths of twine, and then
the whole structure is covered with great masses of human hair-
string wound spirally from top to bottom. A cylinder results which is
decorated with alternate vertical bands of red and white vegetable
down. Into the top of this Tjilbakuta one bundle of emu feathers and
one of black cockatoo tail-feathers are stuck; and often additional
plumes are hung beneath them. The moment the sacred object is
completed, the Illiyakuta delegates one of his group to act as its
attendant or guardian. For the time being his body is decorated with
symmetrically placed, curved ochre bands upon the chest and
vertical bands down the arms; at a later stage he ornaments his
body more elaborately, prior to taking part in the principal
performance; but all the time he remains in his place of hiding beside
the Tjilbakuta. Vide Plate XXXIV.
At the sanctified place close by the other men have been stacking
firewood at different points to illuminate the proceedings during the
evening. Occasionally, too, the Illiyakuta group of men cover a
portion of the ground with a coloured emblem of the traditional emu.
Early in the afternoon of the festive day the men who will take part
in the ceremony at night begin to prepare themselves. Many of the
non-performers help them.
Large quantities of down, both vegetable and birds’, are used to
decorate the bodies. The design is shaped much like a cobbler’s
apron, extending from the neck down the front to the level of the
knees. The greater part of this surface is red, but it is lined with white
and split along the centre by two parallel lines of white. The back is
not decorated at all. The entire surface of the face, including the eye-
lids and beard, is thickly covered with down which is white, except
for an oval red patch around the mouth.
The principal attraction, however, of the sacred emu ceremony is
the head-dress, which is both elaborate and imposing. To prepare it,
the attendant combs back the actor’s hair with his fingers, and
interlaces it with stalks of grass and small twigs in such a way that a
tall conical structure results right on top of the head. This is made
secure and of a uniform exterior by winding much human hair-string
around it, at the same time taking in a plume of emu feathers at the
apex of the cone. The headgear is completely enveloped in red and
white down, extending upwards from the head as alternate vertical
bands. The chief emu-man is distinguished by an extra large
headdress called the “Illiya Altjerra Kuta”; this measures a good
three feet in length, and it embodies, between the apex and the emu
plume, deeply enshrouded with hair-string and down, the sacred
“Illiya Tjuringa.” Other members who are of the same rank as the
“Tjilbakuta” guardian, wear their insignia beneath the emu feathers in
the form of a sickle-shaped rod, which carries at each of its points a
tuft of white cockatoo feathers. All performers cover their person with
a dog-tail appendage which hangs from a thin waistband of human
hair-string. And lastly, they all tie bundles of eucalyptus twigs, with
the leaves attached, to their legs just above the ankles. If possible,
old or half-dried leaves are selected in order that a more pronounced
rustling is produced when the men move about; the noise is made to
imitate the rustle of the wiry feathers of an emu. Vide Plate XXXV.
At nightfall the Tjilbakuta is removed from the hiding place and
planted on the edge of the ensanguined patch. The guardian is thus
given an opportunity to slip away and to attend to his ceremonial
toilet, which is similar to that of the rest of the Tjilbakuta group. When
he returns, the performance is about to begin, and all except he
leave the ground.
The stacks of wood are set fire to by invisible hands, and, so soon
as the flames flare upwards, the silence is broken by the booming
note of a bull-roarer, which is produced some distance off in the
bush.
The Tjilbakuta guardian sits beside the object like a statue, with
his eyes rivetted to the ground immediately in front of him. From
behind him the thud of stamping feet and the rustle of dry leaves
announce the coming of the official performers, while from the other
side the non-performing members step from the darkness and take
up their position by squatting between two fires. When the decorated
men come into view, the latter start beating their boomerangs
together in perfect time to the stamping of the feet of the advancing
actors. They come as a body of five or six rows, one behind the
other, each man holding his hands locked behind his back and
uttering a deep guttural note resembling a pig’s grunt. The folded
hands held over the stern represent the tail, the guttural noise the
call of the emu.
The Illiyakuta, wearing the tall Illiya Altjerra Kuta, is in the front
row, and he is attended on either side by a Tjilbakuta man. The chief
now starts a chant: “Immara janki darrai,” and all the others,
including the sitting men, join in; the same is repeated several times.
When the two parties are opposite each other, the performers
quicken the pace of their stamping and extend their arms sideways,
thereby widening their ranks. After this they retreat to behind the
Tjilbakuta and one hears a shrill chirping note resembling the cry of a
young emu.
The interpretation of this act needs no special elucidation. The
decorated performers are those of the tribe’s manhood who, in all
matters pertaining to the emu, have a right to communicate, through
the Tjilbakuta, with the astral emu ancestor living in the great
celestial domain of the ancestral spirits, which is known as
“Altjerringa.” They are invoking the benign Knaninja or originator of
their particular “totem” species to increase the numbers of emu on
earth for the exclusive benefit of their tribe. It is the Illiyakuta who
imagines that he receives the favourable response from above, and,
when it comes, it is he who imitates the cry of a young emu. It often
happens, however, that the chief persuades himself to believe that
the Great Spirit had not heeded the appeal, in which case the last-
mentioned cry is wanting. The ceremony is repeated time after time.
Altjerringa, it will be observed, is a compound word consisting of
“Altjerra,” the Supreme Spirit, and “inga,” a foot or trail. The implied
idea is that Altjerringa is the “walk-about” of the spirit ancestors,
where they walk, and have always walked, and where the spirits of
all tribes-people eventually hope to find their way.
After this act, the performance becomes less restrained and takes
more the form of a corrobboree. Some of the men seize firebrands
from the burning stacks and hurl them in the direction of the
women’s camp. From the moment of the sounding of the bull-roarer
at the beginning of the ceremony until now the women sat huddled
together, with their faces buried in their hands, thoroughly cowed by
the portentous happenings. When the firebrands come whizzing
through the air and crash into the branches of the trees around them,
sending sparks flying in all directions, they are almost beyond
themselves with fear. But just at this juncture the men call upon them
to look towards the festive ground and behold them dancing. In
obedience to the order, the women’s fears are dispelled and soon
superseded by a noticeable enravishment. They feast their eyes
upon the array of manhood in gala dress, and it is not long ere they
pick up the rhythm of a dance by beating time to the step. Provided
the Tjilbakuta has been removed to a place of secrecy, well out of
reach of accidental discovery, the men entreat the women to come
up and join in the song. Thus the sublime is eventually reduced to
commonplace, and the remainder of the night passes in joviality.
To refer briefly to a vegetable ceremony, we shall select the yam
or “Ladjia Tjuringa Knaninja.” The preparations are much the same
as those of the emu ceremony. An enclosure is first made in a
secluded spot with branches, in the centre of which the “totem” or
Knaninja “stick” is erected. Several men immediately set about to
decorate it with vegetable down as previously described. The design
in this case consists of vertical rows of red circles upon a yellow
ochre background. In addition, a large plume of split eagle-hawk
feathers is stuck into the top of the stick. All ordinary performers
wear conical head-gears or “tdela” made of Cassia twigs, into the
apices of which tightly bound bundles of grass stalks (“gortara”) are
fixed carrying plumes of emu feathers (“mangalingala”) (Plate
XXXVI, 1). Other men have squat, cylindrical bark structures called
“elbola” placed over their heads, which are elaborately decorated
with vertical coils of human hair-string and coloured down.
One of the principal actors represents the “Kuta Knaninja.” His
head-gear consists of two long kutturu, tied together with hair-string
and completely covered with gum leaves, the whole being
subsequently besmeared with blood and decorated with coloured
down. As the assistants are dressing this character, they keep up a
chant sounding like “Winni kutcherai.” Vide Plate XXXVI, 2.
The leading figure is the “Ingada Ladjia Knaninja,” who wears a tall
vertical head-piece which contains the tjuringa of the Ladjia
Knaninja. The tjuringa is, however, not visible, but is covered with
pieces of bark, securely tied over it with hair-string, the whole being
richly decorated with vertical bands of red and white down.
The Great Spirit of the Yam, called “Knaninja Tjilba Ladjia,” when
he leaves Altjerringa, takes up his abode in a cave near Mount
Conway, where the tjuringas are kept, but at night, before the fires
are lit, he is supposed to come to the ceremonial ground and occupy
the decorated “totem” stick described above. During the performance
he is surrounded by all the ordinary performers, who are known as
“Tjilba Ingarrega,” and are directly under the guidance of the Ingada
and Kuta Knaninja.
A group of men who are not decorated sit near one of the fires and
sing while the performers are thus encircling the Ladjia stick:
“Imbanai yinga
Wi ma bana Ladji di bana
Yammana wi ma bana
Jai ra ja ja
Jai ja ja na
Wi ba na na
De a re a ja betja,”
“Yedimidimi
Dakarai pa ma taka,
Pa mitu min jai, jin tarai,
Ja ra nai malgada, ja ranai.”
One often reads, and I was under the same impression myself
until I became better acquainted with the tribes, that the Australian
natives do not connect the knowledge of conception with any
intercourse which might have taken place between the sexes. This I
find is not altogether correct, although usually the younger people
are kept in complete ignorance on the subject. No doubt strangers
are treated similarly when they put any pertinent questions to the old
men on matters of sex. The old men believe in the duality of human
creation, the spiritual and the material; sexuality is regarded as the
stimulus of corporeal reproduction, but the spirit quantity is derived
through mystic and abstract influences controlled by a “totem”-spirit
or Knaninja. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising to note
that the ceremonies of the phallus are transacted principally by the
old men of the tribe who aim at the rejuvenation of their waning
powers.
It is interesting to see the old men preparing for a ceremony which
is to be dedicated to a Knaninja or Spirit of Sex, because they all
endeavour to conceal the white hairs of their beards by rubbing
powdered charcoal into them. The bark of the cork tree (Hakea) is
used for the purpose; pieces of it are charred, crushed between the
palms, and applied where needed. It is astounding what a difference
this process makes to the appearance, and some of the old grey-
beards really look as though they had been made twenty years
younger by magic.
In the eastern MacDonnell Ranges stands a cylindro-conical
monolith whose origin is believed to be as follows: Many generations
ago, the paternal ancestors of the Arunndta walked from a district
situated, as near as one can gather, somewhere in the
neighbourhood of Ediowie; they were known as the “Kukadja,” and
were characterized by the enormous dimensions of their organs.
These old men or Tjilba of the tribe migrated northwards to beyond
Tennant’s Creek and settled in the productive “Allaia” country which
surrounds the Victoria River. In that same district one finds, even at
the present day, cave drawings of human beings with the anatomical
peculiarities referred to (Fig. 8). At a later time, the head-man of the
Kukadja, named “Knurriga Tjilba,” returned southwards to the
Macdonnell Ranges. While roaming the hills, he espied two young
women sitting on the side of a quartzite cliff, and without deliberation
began to approach them. He was in the act of making lewd overtures
when the guardian of the girls, a crow ancestor, caught sight of him
and hurled a boomerang at him. The missile struck the great man
and cut off the prominent portion of his body, which in falling stuck
erect in the ground. The force of the impact was so great that the
man bounced off the earth and fell somewhere near Barrow’s Creek.
He bled so profusely that a clay-pan soon filled with his blood. Thus
his followers found him, and overcome with sorrow they opened the
veins of their arms to mix their blood with his. Then all the members
of the party jumped into the pool and disappeared for ever.
Fig. 8. Ochre drawing of “Kukadja” men, north of Wickham River, Northern
Territory (× 1/3).
The severed portion of the old man’s body, however, remained just
where it fell and turned to stone. It has long been known as “Knurriga
Tjilba Purra.”
The two young women can also still be detected in the cliff as
prominent rock formations.
The stone has been protected by the tribe as long as the old men
can remember, because they realize that it contains an inexhaustible
number of unborn tribes-people. These mythic, foetal elements are
generally recognized to exist in certain objects of phallic significance,
and are called “rattappa.” The medicine men maintain that they can
at times see the dormant living matter in the stone. It is on that
account that it is regarded as sacred, and every now and then very
secret and worshipful ceremonies are transacted near its base, the
main objects of which are to multiply the future membership of the
tribe and to preserve the sexual powers of the old men.
The Tjilba Purra naturally figures prominently in some of their
ceremonies. In fact, it is reproduced and worn upon the head of the
leading man during the functions. The sacred effigy consists of an
upright column, about two feet high, composed of a stout bundle of
grass stalks, in the centre of which the tjuringa is contained. It is
decorated with alternating bands of red and white down throughout
its length. This upright column represents the “Tjilba” or revered
ancestor whose spirit is invoked to “sit” in the tjuringa; at the top of it
a plume of wiry emu feathers, well powdered with charcoal (“unjia”)
to give it a youthful appearance, takes the place of the forbear’s hair
and beard. Standing at an angle with the central column, a similar
though slightly smaller structure is intended for the “Purra” or
phallus; it carries a plume of white cockatoo feathers at its end to
represent the glans. Vide Plate XXXVIII, 2.
A landmark, of similar significance as the Tjilba Purra of the
Arunndta, exists on the Roper River in the Northern Territory; it is a
pillar of sandstone known as “Waraka.” Waraka is also the name of
the great Spirit Father of the tribe. In very early times this man came
to earth in a semi-human form, and made the country abound in
game, animals, birds, and fish. Then he found a woman on the
shores of Carpentaria Gulf who remained with him as his wife. Many
children came of the union; and Waraka’s mate has since been
looked upon as the mother of the tribe. The woman’s name was
“Imboromba,” and to this day the tribe takes its name after her.
Warraka had an enormous sex characteristic which was so
ponderous that he was obliged to carry it over one of his shoulders.
Eventually the organ became so huge that Warraka collapsed and
sank into the earth. His burden remained, but turned to stone, and is
now looked upon by the local natives as the great symbol of Nature’s
generative power which first produced their game supplies and then
the original children of the tribe; it is revered accordingly.
The Kukata have a somewhat similar legend of the origin of a
stone of phallic significance, the name of the possessor of the large
organ being “Kalunuinti.”
In the extreme north-western corner of Australia, in the Glenelg
River district, the natural stone is replaced by an artificially