Records of the Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
On January 14, 1960, the Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean was conducted by the Caribbean Federation for Mental Health (CFMH) under the supervision of the World Federation for Mental Health and the Research Institute for the Study of Man (RISM). The first of its kind in the Caribbean, the comparative study explored local and regional patterns of mental illness and health through a number of influential factors, including migration, occupation, education, marital status, and family history. Source: Records of Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean, Series I, Folder 5 Records of Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean, Series IV, Folder 1
Historical Note
The Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean was a comprehensive, one-day research project organized by the Caribbean Federation for Mental Health (CFMH). Founded at the Second Caribbean Conference for Mental Health in April 1959, the CFMH conducted the project on January 14, 1960, under the supervision of the World Federation for Mental Health and the Research Institute for the Study of Man.
The census research project was the first systematic effort in the region to collect cross-cultural epidemiological data on the socio-psychiatric characteristics of mental patients. Census research of this popuation also provided a comparative look at the local and regional patterns of mental illness.
Enumerators and hospital staff were provided with field instruction manuals and questionnaires in English, Dutch, Spanish, and French. Approximately 9,000 patients in mental hospitals in Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and the U.S. Virgin Islands participated in the study.
The research findings, analyzed with the assistance of the Bureau of Registry and Statistics of Puerto Rico, provided information on a broad spectrum of variables in mental illness, including such contributing factors as migration, occupation, education, marital status, and family history. The final report concluded that standardization was needed in treatment procedures, diagnostic criteria, and nomenclature. Recommendations for institutional recordkeeping procedures, the development of in-training programs for mental health personnel, the exchange of information on administrative and technical problems, research on therapeutic measures, and release rates on familial and social factors in mental illness were also included in the report.
Source: Records of Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean, Series I, Folder 5 Records of Census of Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean, Series IV, Folder 1
Arrangement
The Records of the Census of Mental Hospitals have been organized in chronological order according to the following series:
Series I: Census Reports and Research Programs
Series II: Field Manuals and Questionnaires
Series III: Correspondence
Series IV: Conference Papers
Scope and Contents
The records of the Census of the Mental Hospitals in the Caribbean consists of 1.0 linear foot (2 AB) and spans the years 1960 to 1971 (plus undated material), with the bulk of the materials generated between 1960 and 1963.
The collection, which includes census reports, research programs, field manuals, questionnaires, correspondence, and conference papers, has been arranged in four series and organized chronologically within each series. The four series are as follows:
Series I: Census Reports and Research Programs (1960-1963);
Series II: Field Manuals and Questionnaires (1961), which includes questionnaires in English, Dutch, and French;
Series III: Correspondence (1962-1971), including correspondence regarding board meetings, social work education, and requests for census reports; and
Series IV: Conference Papers (1961-1971; undated).
Subjects
People
Conditions Governing Access
Some of the materials in this collection may be restricted. Please contact the University Archives for details.
Conditions Governing Use
For permission to publish any materials from this collection, please contact:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2641
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item, Date(s) if known] The Caribbean Mental Health Census RISM RG 10, Box and Folder Number(s) New York University Archives Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
Location of Materials
Provenance
The Caribbean Mental Health Census was created by the Caribbean Federation for Mental Health (CFMH) under the supervision of the World Federation for Mental Health and the Research Institute for the Study of Man (RISM).
Separated Materials
Statistical records associated with the research were analyzed by the Puerto Rican government and were retained by their National Archives.
