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Psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and politics during the First World War
1Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
|October 1, 1991
Summary
During World War I, army psychiatrists prioritized state loyalty over soldier well-being, using ineffective methods. Psychoanalytically-influenced physicians, however, achieved better results with more humane, cathartic techniques for shell-shocked soldiers.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Military History
- Psychoanalysis and World War I
Background:
- Examines therapeutic approaches of psychiatrists and psychoanalysts in the German and Austro-Hungarian armies during World War I.
- Investigates the influence of governmental and military authority on therapeutic techniques.
Observation:
- Army psychiatrists prioritized nationalist commitment and soldier docility to the state over patient welfare.
- Violent coercive methods were employed to return neurotic soldiers to duty, proving inefficient.
Findings:
- Physicians influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis utilized cathartic methods for treating soldiers.
- This psychoanalytic approach was more humane and therapeutically effective than standard psychiatric interventions.
Implications:
- Highlights the potential of psychoanalytic principles in military mental health during wartime.
- Suggests a re-evaluation of therapeutic strategies in historical military contexts.
- Underscores the ethical considerations in military psychiatry and the efficacy of patient-centered care.