Shell shock stories and beyond

The psychological trauma experienced by soldiers during the First World War - and relatives who have been traumatised by researching their family's history of the conflict - will be the focus of a new community engagement project led by academics at the University of Nottingham. From shell shocked soldiers recovering in specialist hospitals to cases of 'barbed wire disease' in 'enemy alien' internment camps, the psychologists and historians are interested in hearing about any stories of trauma which have been uncovered by community history projects as part of their research, funded by the Arts and Humanities Reseach Council. Their work will focus on a wide range of trauma narratives, including post-1918 literary and poetic references right through to the experiences of contemporary family historians who have been affected by uncovering mental health problems of ancestors involved in the war. The project is being led by Professor Nigel Hunt, a trauma expert in the University's Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, and historian Dr Larissa Allwork, who are part of the University's Centre for Hidden Histories. Professor Nigel Hunt said: "The differences between historical and contemporary perspectives on mental and emotional trauma present a challenge to community researchers as it requires an understanding of how such trauma was regarded, described and recorded in historical records. "An additional challenge is presented by the emotional impact on the researcher who examines potentially disturbing and upsetting material.