I have a fairly loose and eclectic knowledge of the history of mental health including some study of 19th & 20th century medical development and (oddly, I know) quite a lot of knowledge relating to classical Chinese medical history. However, quite interested to learn about what different societies across different periods considered 'mental' health to be and whether disorders such as PTSD and depression were recognised in any sense in pre-Modern periods.
Thanks :)
I can only speak for my own field, and I know that PTSD and combat trauma have recently become very fashionable topics in the field of classical warfare! I'd start with the collection of essays edited by Peter Meinick and David Konstan, Combat Trauma and the Ancient Greeks. Now, I haven't read the book and am not specialized in the field - u/Iphikrates might be able to weight in here more than I can - but I've heard one of the contributors, Jason Crowley, speak. He's wonderful and I agree with his skepticism concerning whether PTSD is indeed a 'universal' human experience (I think me and him are not in the mainstream, though!). In the talk I went to see, he argued that PTSD was not at all common in the ancient world because of the completely different ideological constructions that surrounded warfare back then. He also emphasizes that military and battle were much more communal experiences in the ancient world than they have been in the modern era: the most recent major wars have been fought in the trenches or guerrilla - style in jungles or cities etc. where an individual soldier has much more responsibility to make his own decision and has less support, which highly increases his/her chances of developing PTSD.
Hey hey! Something I'm good for! I've studied the current effects of PTSD and the design and implementation of the American military psychological health system for 3 years at MIT, despite being a dirty historian. My suggestion, out of everything I've read is "The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" by David J Morris. A spectacular book about his own struggles with PTSD and its historical and cultural impacts.
In addition it becomes difficult to research PTSD history using the modern term for the disorder. I would suggest using some of its antiquated names to bolster this book.
Post-Vietnam syndrome - Vietnam war
Combat fatigue - WWII
Combat Fatigue - WWII
Combat Neurosis - WWII
Shell Shock - WWI (shell shock was different than PTSD but was applied to those suffering from PTSD and TBI)
Cowardice - WWI
Soldier's Heart - US Civil War
There are more, and I will try to update this with more direct citations tomorrow when I'm not in Mexico trying to type on a cell phone with glacially slow internet.
Mods I understand if you nuke this, but I implore you to give me a bit of time.
I hope the mods will forgive me, but my background is in literature and psychology and I know of a few good works to consider, though outside the strictly historical school of thought. Pat Barker's regeneration is a terrific book that follows PTSD in veteran's of WWI, including the poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. I'm also working through a really fascinating book that speaks to the more modern development of the condition, but the body keeps the score by Bessel van der kolk is also well worth considering. While it is more concerning the treatment of the condition, Dr. Van Der Kolk had been a key part of PTSD treatment for the last few decades and shares insights on the development of research and treatment for a more recent historical context primarily stemming from the Vietnam war.