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).

What was the impact of World War I on those who took part? How has the trauma of World War 1 been depicted in art and literature? And what can we learn from the past to help treat combat stress reactions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? 2014 marks the centennial year of the beginning of World War 1. It was a war of unprecedented scale and brutality, with countless casualties. It also left a poisonous legacy for the 20th century and beyond. This free online course explores the subject of physical and mental trauma, its treatments and its representation, as experienced by both combatants and civilian populations.