2008/10/04 by Tracey Loughran · 2 citations
Psychology · Arts and Humanities · Medicine · #Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices #Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes #Medical History and Research #Psychodynamics #Hostility #Shock (circulatory) #Psychology #World War II #Psychoanalysis #Political science #Psychotherapist #Law #Medicine #Criminology
paper · doi:10.1093/shm/hkn093
openalex publication_date 2008/10/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Historians have viewed the experience of shell-shock in First World War Britain as a crucial episode in the development of ‘modern’ psychological medicine, arguing doctors initially believed shell-shock was caused by the physical effects of shell explosions, and only gradually realised these were psychological disorders, treatable by psychotherapy. This article argues that conceptual frameworks of pre-war medicine provided models of mind-body relations which allowed doctors to recognise the emotional origins of shell-shock on the outbreak of war. Distinct schools of ‘physical’ and ‘psychological’ thought only emerged in 1916; physical theories persisted beyond 1918; and the war had an uneven effect on engagement with psychodynamic theories. Adoption of psychological vocabulary outstripped understanding, and widespread dissemination also resulted in hostility. Shell-shock marked an important moment in the emergence of the distinct disciplines of psychology and psychiatry in Britain, but this did not involve a radical departure from pre-war concepts of mental health.