Hawaii Chronicles III: World War Two in Hawaii from the Pages of Paradise of the Pacific

Mental Disturbances Caused by the War

Mental Disturbances Caused by the War EDWIN E. MCNEIL, M.D., DIRECTOR OF THE HAWAII MENTAL CLINIC E Emotions developed in wartime are anger and aggression. These natural emotions are directed not only against the enemy but at the leadership in our own group. This runs the gamut: Congress— capitalists—labor—bureaucracy—military leaders—promotion by seniority—the soft life of the age—the sugar plantations—the kamaainas—the press—and almost anything or anyone that has power or influence. In this present war, most people are, in varying degrees, mad and scared—and because both of these feelings are very uncomfortable ones, people want to do something so that they will feel different. Unfortunately, from a psychological point of view, most people cannot do something directly against the enemy. There is a lot of satisfaction in giving the “dirty so-and-so” a “sock in the jaw” or in “taking a potshot ” at a Jap. But for most of us, this is not that kind of war. The wear and tear on the personality of the average individual is much greater in this kind of war. There are greater feelings of insecurity because of the speed and intensity of the war and the fact that, as a nation, we are in greater danger than we have ever been in our history. The facts of this situation cannot help but bring some feelings of fear and apprehension to any intelligent person. Remarkable changes have come in almost every phase of our living here in Hawaii. Food is higher and there is a limited variety. Gasoline and tires are rationed along with liquor.The blackout has changed our eating, social, and work habits. The sending of women and children to the mainland has brought about tremendous changes in the habits 135 First published June 1943. and in the sex lives of the remaining men and women. The repercussions of this one situation alone will be evidenced for generations.The high percentage of Japanese in the territory presents many other problems. Mention of these well-known factors is sufficient to indicate the sources of many emotional and personality problems. Practically everyone in Hawaii has been under considerable emotional tension since the attack that started the war. This tension is a normal reaction for the intelligent, sane individual . It may be evidenced in a loss of weight; loss or increase of appetite; increase in rate of liquor consumption; poorer sleep, with an increase in dreams, particularly of the fear or catastrophic type; development of gastro-intestinal difficulties such as hyperacidity and gastric ulcers; depressive feelings; unexplained irritability; and other complaints that are best described as anxiety symptoms. Many people evidence a decrease in efficiency or show instances of remarkably poor judgment, as contrasted with their usual eventempered level-headedness. Others will do things they cannot explain , except perhaps on a neurotic or daydreaming basis. Since the war started we have seen the most disturbed group of patients of my five years in Hawaii. The largest group falls into the schizophrenic classification, with the catatonic and paranoid types predominating. In these cases, difficulties of adjustment under wartime conditions have been too great for the individual to meet successfully. Although reasons for fear in Hawaii have lessened during the past year, due to the increased security of the islands, relaxing of martial law, and the return of many island families, mental disturbances have increased rather than decreased. This may be due to prolonged tension , limited recreational facilities, and factors such as the curfew, blackout, and general insecurity and uncertainty. Some of our patient load is composed of the kind of rural, smalltown , home boys who have never before been away from the protection and security of a familiar scene. Life here may become too complicated and difficult for them,requiring more stamina and flexibility than they are capable of giving. Another group shows strong paranoid trends with delusions, hallucinations, and a typical panic state. Strangely enough, there have been few manic depressive cases, and we have not made a single diagnosis of war neurosis or war psychosis Hawai‘i Chronicles 136 since the onset of the war. Nor have we seen any patients with what some are prone to call “shell shock.” Some cases of toxic psychoses have been seen, the most dramatic being cases of alcoholic hallucinations occurring several days after the individual had stopped drinking , perhaps at sea on a ship...