The trouble with Martin O'Meara

Philippa Martyr; Sophie Davison

doi:10.1177/1039856215597538

The trouble with Martin O'Meara

Australas Psychiatry. 2015 Oct;23(5):536-9. doi: 10.1177/1039856215597538. Epub 2015 Jul 30.

Authors

Philippa Martyr¹, Sophie Davison²

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Research Centre, NMHS MH, Mount Claremont, WA, and; Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Mount Claremont, WA, Australia Philippa.Martyr@health.wa.gov.au.
² Clinical Research Centre, NMHS MH, Mount Claremont, WA, and; Research Associate Professor, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Mount Claremont, WA, Australia.

PMID: 26229054
DOI: 10.1177/1039856215597538

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this article is to highlight the pitfalls of translating historical cases of wartime psychiatric trauma into modern post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Method: We examined all available primary sources relating to the case of Martin O'Meara VC (1885-1935).

Results: We found that O'Meara's symptoms are not consistent with a diagnosis of PTSD.

Conclusions: It is more likely that O'Meara developed a form of schizoaffective disorder, or long-lasting trauma-induced psychosis, after World War I.

Keywords: Western Australia; World War I; history; post-traumatic stress disorder.

Publication types

Biography
Historical Article

MeSH terms

Australia
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
Humans
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / history*
World War I

Personal name as subject

Martin O'Meara