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Preferred term

shell shock  

Definition

  • The term shell shock (sometimes also called combat neurosis or war neurosis) was first used to describe a wide range of symptoms seen in soldiers during World War I. Although symptoms were diverse, they were believed to share a common cause: close proximity to exploding shells. It was believed that when a shell exploded, a vacuum was created, and that when air rushed into this vacuum, the cerebro-spinal fluid was disturbed, which then upset brain functioning. [Source: Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness: An A-to-Z Guide; Shell Shock]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/shell_shock

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