MANPOWER STUDIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PSYCHIATRISTS
DANIEL BLAIN M.D.1,
HOWARD POTTER M.D.2, , and
HARRY SOLOMON M.D.3
1 Director of Mental Hygiene, Calif.
2 Director of Education, Letchworth Village, N. Y.
3 Commissioner of Mental Health, Mass.
In summary, may I state that, with the help of a number of foundations which have contributed a total of approximately $27,000, the first year has proved to be largely a matter of exploration rather than definition. A large number of interesting contacts with leading professional groups have been made. A tremendous amount of interest has been developed in the study. Many suggestions have come toward modifying it in one direction or another, perhaps most important has been the suggestion that since this is such an enormously important project, it must be done well or not done at all.
The activities of the consultants have been extremely helpful. It has been of particular interest to note that the highly successful National Manpower Council working with Dr. Ginzberg and his associates also came to the end of their first year remarking that, in spite of careful planning, the first year had turned out to be largely exploratory.
Of great interest was Dr. Ginzberg's remark that no definitive plan for approaching manpower studies had yet been developed.
The conclusion after 8 months of effort with a small staff is that the time is now come to enter into an intensive effort over a number of months, mainly to design a series of studies and operations which will, in time, enable progress to be made in this problem. Accordingly, a staff of competent technicians in research design, psychiatric and sociological personnel with clinical and teaching experience will work with the national consultants to produce such a program as may receive financial support over such a period of time as necessary for this important subject.
