Psychiatry and War Flashcards
What did WWI do to Sigmund Freud and his work?
The war upset him, and he became pessimistic about human nature. After the war, he introduced the death drive as a human motivation. Nothing like a world war to make you consider the destructive side of human nature.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and homesickness is one of them, why?
Before the American civil war, those who were enlisted had never left their homes before and so it was considered that homesickness caused the trauma.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and life in the army is one of them, why?
Because life in the army was hard for most people, it was regimented and tense.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and killing is one of them, why?
Because most soldiers found it impossible to kill another person, particularly if they could see into their eyes. It was like transgressing a basic moral code.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and threat to life is one of them, why?
Well… it’s kind of obvious. Most people want to live and knowing that there are people out there who want to kill you is traumatising.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and observing death is one of them, why?
Seeing those around you being killed is hard, and it reminds you of your own mortality.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and coming home & the aftermath is one of them, why?
Coming was hard for a lot of soldiers because being abroad was interesting and full of intense life experiences. Coming home, not many people understood what they had been through and they were expected to resume back to normal.
There are some considerations as to why wars cause trauma for those enlisted and a lack of moral fibre is one of them, why?
Because some soldiers who became traumatised were considered to have a lack in ‘moral fibre’.
Like it did to Freud, wars caused big changes in psychiatric theory. What were the main changes between the 20th and 21st centuries?
Initially, psychiatry believed that trauma or a breakdown in personality during war was caused by personal characteristics (i.e. a lack of moral fibre, a lack of character), afterwards, the environment played a bigger role (i.e. seeing death, killing others).
The different wars had different diagnoses for soldiers who struggled. What were the common diagnoses during the civil war?
- nostalgia,
- effort syndrome (when a soldier was considered to be putting into much effort),
- soldier’s heart.
Effort syndrome was a common diagnosis during the American civil war. What was it and how did they treat it?
Effort syndrome was believed to be caused by soldiers putting in too much physical effort, so they lessened people’s loads by taking off heavy material – to no effect.
The different wars had different diagnoses for soldiers who struggled. What were the common diagnoses during the great war (WWI)?
shell shock.
The different wars had different diagnoses for soldiers who struggled. What were the common diagnoses during the WWII?
war neurosis, combat stress, battle fatigue, battle exhaustion, psychoneurosis, NYD-N.
During WWII, NYD-N became a common diagnosis, what was it?
NYD-N means “not yet diagnosed – nervous”.
The different wars had different diagnoses for soldiers who struggled. What were the common diagnoses during the Vietnam war?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The different wars had different diagnoses for soldiers who struggled. What were the common diagnoses during the Gulf War?
Gulf war syndrome.
The psychological impact of war changed greatly in the 20th century, why is that? And what are two wars that make this comparison?
Wars during the 20th century became longer. Compare the battle of Waterloo (Napolean), which lasted one day while the sun shined, to WWI that lasted for years. Also, desertion and disease had a higher toll. Wars also became more lethal, the Great War became one of the first for industrialised war-fare.
What central questions in psychiatry did wars bring to the forefront?
Is war and killing pathogenic? What are the impacts of traumatic experiences?
Why were people eager to enlist in WWI? And did this attitude change?
People were really eager to enlist and serve their country, but the enthusiasm did not last for a very long time. People died, they had a terrible time.
What happened to the soldiers who were victims of gas attacks?
Their eyes were burnt, they became temporarily blinded and had to form long lines to try and find a medical tent.
The great war caused a lot of wounded soldiers, what was the outcome for physicians and the medical field?
A lot of new practices were created with physicians learning more about how to amputate limbs.
What are the symptoms of shellshock?
Conversion hysteria (anxiety), paralysis (limping, muscle contractions), blindness, deafness, nightmares (insomnia), heart palpitations, depression, dizziness, disorientation, diarrhea, stomach cramps, speech disorders, facial tics, trembling, uncoordinated movements, muscle spasms.
In the world wars, what was the diagnostic bias between officers and soldiers?
Officers were more likely to be diagnosed with neurasthenia (perhaps because they were more protected and felt guilty), while enlisted men were diagnosed more frequently with hysteria.
Who coined the term ‘shellshock’? And when?
Charles S. Myers coined the term shellshock in 1917.
