At the beginning of the First World War, mental illnesses and nervous conditions were believed to result from an individual’s “weak” mind or character, rather than a legitimate reaction to an overwhelming event. The evolution of the conflict and its mechanization and brutalization added a different dimension to the understanding and treatment of what was known among soldiers as “shell shock”. By the end of the war, over 10,000 Canadian soldiers would be diagnosed with a “war neurosis” — what we know today as Post-traumatic stress disorder — and many more suffered without ever receiving an official diagnosis.
Visit the travelling exhibition of the Canadian Centre for the Great War at the Hamilton Military Museum until 30 March 2023.