Evolution of Psychiatry: From Spa Treatments to Psychoanalysis

Psychiatry has evolved over time, with the understanding of distress remaining constant while the labels and treatments have changed. In the early years, nervous illnesses were treated at spas using hydrotherapy and electrotherapy, which were surprisingly successful. Neurologists and GPs, rather than psychiatrists, treated these nervous illnesses. The rise of psychoanalysis in the early 20th century marked a paradigm shift in psychiatry, with its focus on the unconscious mind rather than organic problems. World War I did not directly cause this shift, but psychoanalysis quickly dominated the field, replacing nerves and nervous illnesses as diagnostic concepts. The popularity of psychoanalysis lasted until the 1970s when psychopharmacology became more prevalent.