war neurosis
treatment
Understanding and Treatment of War Neurosis by the Canadian Army Medical Corps
The term “shell shock” or neurasthenia emerged because military doctors believed the symptoms were caused by injuries to the nervous system resulting from the explosion of nearby artillery shells. As the war progressed and cases of “shell shocked” soldiers rose, it became clear that this was not the case. Many patients had no combat experience, or had not been under direct fire at the time of injury.
"It became evident that the shell explosions or other event which forms the immediate antecedent of the illness is only the spark [...] for which the mental stresses and strains of warfare have long prepared the ground."
Physical treatments like electric shock therapy to send soldiers back to the front as quickly as possible were favoured. In strictest terms, these harsher methods were more efficient in returning men to the trenches; they took less time and had immediate effects on physical symptoms, but it is not known how many patients relapsed once they were back in combat.
"Shell shock" was believed to happen when a soldier's mental strength ran out. Medical professionals thought it could be exhausted by stressful situations such as intense combat, artillery barrages, or prolonged time in the trenches.
Views taken on Christmas Day, 1917
at Granville Special Hospital, Buxton
December 1917
Canadian War Museum
Item CWM 19930003-607