| Affiliations: | Aggie Research Mentoring Program |
| Project Leader: | Brandon Lentz bwlentz@tamu.edu Anthropology |
| Faculty Mentor: | Kevin Crisman, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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Mondays 11:00AM-12:00PM /Tuesdays 2:00-3:00PM |
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Team Size:
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8 |
| Open Spots: | 7 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Conference attendance, potential co-authorship on publications, the ability to learn new skills, and the potential to become a full member of my research group.
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Team Needs:
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Ability to read cursive and a strong desire/passion to sift through historical primary source material! |
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Description:
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The Royal Navy witnessed a substantial increase in psychiatric cases between 1795-1815 due to the compounding psychosocial stressors experienced from a rigorous life at sea. The perspective held by the British Admiralty that “mania, madness, and lunacy” resulted from consequences arising from instances of intoxication, accidents, and disease largely prevailed despite modern-day notions of “mania” strictly arising from combat stress reactions (CSRs). Consequently, sailors treated and considered cured of “mania” generally returned to active service, usually to the same vessel or command, while a diagnosis of “lunacy” (on account of in-patient treatment at a Royal Navy asylum) resulted in duty rotations, transfers, or removal from the service altogether. Medical literature from the 19th century estimated that sailors were approximately seven times more likely to experience mental duress in comparison to their civilian counterparts, and with over one million service members within the navy, the number of seamen who experienced mental illnesses would have been significant.
This research project aims to uncover the breadth of mental illness within the Royal Navy’s fleets using primary source documents dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The objective is to explore the sociological, philosophical, and epidemiological span of diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes of diseases of the mind using Royal Navy hospital admission records, court-martial cases, surgeon’s logs, and other primary source data. Thus far, closer inspection of the Royal Navy’s medicinal and administrative functions has revealed a more sympathetic and progressive approach to treating and supporting service members experiencing acute or chronic mental illness during their sea service than once believed. However, further investigation and evaluation of the data will be required to analyze the incidence of disease statistically. |