Clinical psychology in the navy

Abstract

In 1940 the Navy completed its plans for the detection and elimination of neuropsychiatrically unfit recruits and by the end of that year was commissioning professional personnel to staff the program. The plan, entailing the cooperative endeavors of psychiatrist, neuropsychiatrist, and psychologist, was working smoothly by the middle of 1941, well before the outbreak of war.The work of clinical psychologists in the Navy has been characterized by marked individual initiative and ingenuity in meeting the clinical problems which have arisen. The original directives wisely allowed each man great latitude in his choice of specific psychological procedures. It was assumed that only trained workers of recognized professional standing would be commissioned for the program, and that such men would work best if they were allowed leeway in meeting their clinical problems in the field. No doubt this attitude was reinforced by the natural tendency, in an organization where small units of men (ships' crews) often have to function independently in relative isolation for long periods of time, to decentralize authority and emphasize individual responsibility.The original directives further encouraged individual initiative by pointing out the responsibility of the psychologist in improving current techniques through constant research. The conducting of this research has not been allocated to a special group but has been left in the hands of the man in the field. *The opinions or assertions in this paper are the private ones of the writer, and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Service at large. As a result, research has developed hand in hand with practice, and there has not been the professional stagnation which often threatens the clinical psychologist faced with the administration of a rigid program prescribed in every detail.On the negative side this decentralization has resulted in some loss of time and some duplication of effort. The encouragement of individual initiative and the resulting professional stimulation, however, more than corrqpensate for this. As a result, clinical psychology in the Navy has been marked by a rugged individualism which has been invaluable in meeting the constantly changing exigencies of the war.In the military services, problems arise that demand creative solutions which often must be devised on the spot. Wars do not proceed with the orderly regularity and relatively-planned economy of institutional and academic life. The situation at Newport was typical of that at all training stations. With the outbreak of war, we immediately began to process twice as many men in one day as we had previously processed in one week. The increase in the volume of recruits was immediate. Increases in professional personnel and physical facilities were delayed and gradual due to the slower processes of comntissioning and construction. As a result, the ' staff was on duty seven days a week, from 14 to 20 hours a day. It was necessary to change some of our t...

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