The immediate problem of mental hygiene as addressed to such character traits as have been enumerated above is to approach their study in the individual case with a view to unfolding the causative factors which have, within these cer tain areas of conduct, prevented the individual from progressing along the usual lines of de velopment and having succeeded in this en deavor, helping the individual to find avenues of expression for this pent-up energy in more useful ways.
All these results have been made possible by a study of the development of the child and realization for the first time that the child is not simply a small adult, hut has standards of con duct, points of view, attitudes of mind which it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the adult to feel himself into. An appreciation of these facts, together with an attitude toward the individual which is truly constructive, the parental attitude in the best sense, is what is needed. So that in the treatment of these sick individuals there is arising in society an atti tude which is a development of the parental in stinct as a result of better understanding.
The defects in the parental instinct have been that children have been considered the property of the parents, existing only for their use and satisfaction. This has been the history of the child throughout the ages. Now it must be appreciated that a greater sacrifice is de manded of the parent if the child is to grow up to successful adulthood. Only the interests of the child should be considered by the parent, and not the parent's personal desires. On the other hand the child should be weaned from considering that the parents belong to it and exist for its pleasure, otherwise a dependent at titude upon the love of the parents will persist into adult life. The basic necessity, therefore, for the healthy adult is a healthy relationship between parent and child which results finally in a normal, healthy emancipation of the latter, resulting in the greatest possible attainment of individual efficiency.