| Summary: | The purpose of this study is·to evaluate the practice of having the medical social worker in the obstetrical clinic interview every married woman having her first baby. This is a policy which was introduced in the prenatal clinics of the Women’s Pavilion of the Royal Victoria Hospital in October, 1949. It was considered by the medical administration to be one method of strengthening the constructive maternal hygiene programme by providing a preventive mental health service during the prenatal period. It was·introduced on an experimental basis with the intention that after it had been in operation a reasonable length of time the policy would be reviewed and evaluated. Such an evaluation would reveal what the programme entailed in actual practice as shown by the number of patients served, quality of service given and whether the aforementioned goals had been achieved. The policy has been in effect for more than a year, and during 1950 more than 400 primiparous patients attended the prenatal clinics. Obviously the programme, if it is functioning as planned, absorbs a large proportion of the time of the medical social worker in the social service department. The time has come to determine whether it should be continued or not. The writer, who has participated in the programme as a caseworker, plans to evaluate this policy from two points of view [...]
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