Treating shell shock

Finding and interrogating historical data

Annika Mombauer and Vincent Trott show you how you can do some ‘desk research’ on the history of World War One. Their task is to find out how many people died. You can use these skills to trace both the victims and survivors of shell shock.

What is shell shock?

Dr Fiona Reid, an expert on shell shock, describes what shell shock was, how it was treated and how it was regarded by contemporaries. She also explores the specific British connotations of the term, and the way we associate it with the First World War in particular.

Treating shell shock

Dr. Fiona Reid discusses the various methods that were used to treat shell shock. These might include rest and distraction, or could entail more extreme treatments, such as electric shock therapy (faradism).

Attitudes to shell shock

Dr. Fiona Reid talks about developing attitudes to shell shock after World War 1.