The following is the second part of Brian Barraclough's interview with Sir William Trethowan. Part I appeared in the February Bulletin.

Stress, like depression, is a universal experience. Both are generally self-limiting and may even prove to be beneficial in terms of personal growth. In some circumstances, however, stress and depression may become excessive or morbid, and lead to considerable disability.

A meeting of psychiatrists with an interest in rehabilitation was held in Oxford in April 1983 just prior to the College Quarterly meeting. The meeting was convened by Dr Brenda Morris and chaired by Professor John Wing; its purpose was to discuss the scope and future direction of rehabilitation in mental illness.

A group of child and adolescent psychiatrists working in or near London has been meeting regularly for a number of years. There are places for about 20, and the composition of the group changes as old members leave and are replaced by new ones. In 1974 a pilot study was published on how members divided up their professional time.1 Seven years later the present group decided to examine this topic again,2 and also to explore other issues concerning their working arrangements.

The second symposium to be arranged for nurses and psychiatrists by the Nursing Committee was held at the Quarterly Meeting of the College in London on 17 November 1983. A criticism of the initial meeting held in Liverpool in April 1982 was that although nursing attendance had been excellent, the response from the psychiatrists had been poor. This was disappointing as the aim of the meetings was to provide a forum where topics of mutual interest or concern could be freely discussed. However, on this occasion, when the Chairman of the meeting, Dr Birley, called for psychiatrists in the audience to identify themselves, out of the ninety or so present, two-thirds were psychiatrists.

Most people come into psychiatry from behind the white coat of more technologically orientated medicine. In psychiatry, with its slower pace and greater intimacy, it is seen as more important to consider the patients' feelings and there is time to do so. But here one's role is less clearly defined and assumptions carried over about the relation of the junior doctor to other staff may be inappropriate.

The Department of Health and Social Security is sponsoring a conference on ‘Mental Illness in Primary Care Settings’ which will be held at the Institute of Psychiatry on 17 and 18 July 1984. The conference is being organized by the General Practice Research Unit. Topics will include classification, screening, treatment effectiveness, patterns of collaboration, international developments and future trends for research and policy. Although attendance will be by invitation only, limited places may be available. Those interested should contact Dr D. G. Wilkinson, General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, from whom further information is available.

In addition to the medal the award attached to this prize is £500. The annual examination for the prize will be held on 23 and 24 May 1984. Entries should be sent in by 31 March 1984.