Civilian Lunatic Asylums During the First World War

Beschreibung

This open access book explores the history of asylums and their civilian patients during the First World War, focusing on the effects of wartime austerity and deprivation on the provision of care. While a substantial body of literature on ‘shell shock’ exists, this study uncovers the mental wellbeing of civilians during the war. It provides the first comprehensive account of wartime asylums in London, challenging the commonly held view that changes in psychiatric care for civilians post-war were linked mainly to soldiers’ experiences and treatment. Drawing extensively on archival and published sources, this book examines the impact of medical, scientific, political, cultural and social change on civilian asylums. It compares four asylums in London, each distinct in terms of their priorities and the diversity of their patients. Revealing the histories of the 100,000 civilian patients who were institutionalised during the First World War, this book offers new insights into decision-making and prioritisation of healthcare in times of austerity, and the myriad factors which inform this.
This open access book explores the history of asylums and their civilian patients during the First World War, focusing on the effects of wartime austerity and deprivation on the provision of care. While a substantial body of literature on ‘shell shock’ exists, this study uncovers the mental wellbeing of civilians during the war. It provides the first comprehensive account of wartime asylums in London, challenging the commonly held view that changes in psychiatric care for civilians post-war were linked mainly to soldiers’ experiences and treatment. Drawing extensively on archival and published sources, this book examines the impact of medical, scientific, political, cultural and social change on civilian asylums. It compares four asylums in London, each distinct in terms of their priorities and the diversity of their patients. Revealing the histories of the 100,000 civilian patients who were institutionalised during the First World War, this book offers new insights into decision-making and prioritisation of healthcare in times of austerity, and the myriad factors which inform this.

Provides the first book-length study of the experiences of civilian patients in asylums during the First World War Explores the effects of wartime austerity and deprivation on the provision of care across four London asylums Draws extensively on archival and published sources to reveal the impact of medical, scientific, political, cultural and social change on civilian asylums This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Autor*in

Claire Hilton

Themen in »Civilian Lunatic Asylums During the First World War«

Shell shock Soldiers Madness Welfare austerity Institutional care Hospitals Patient experiences Napsbury Colney Hatch Claybury Hanwell Standards of care Open Access

Stimmen zu »Civilian Lunatic Asylums During the First World War«

“This book will appeal to historians of medicine and psychiatry, those who study the First World War, doctors in policy roles and management, as well as to a lay audience of readers who have an interest in mental health, family history and the war itself.”-          Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Medicine & Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK
"Managers and leaders in the present day health service would do well to read this excellent history of the treatment of mentally ill civilians during the First World War. There are many useful insights here which point the way to the prospect of change for the better." -         Cheryl Brook, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Law, University of Portsmouth

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