Neurasthenia, psy sciences and the ‘great leap forward’ in Maoist China

Abstract

The present study looks into the much-neglected history of neurasthenia in Maoist China in relation to the development of psy sciences. It begins with an examination of the various factors that transformed neurasthenia into a major health issue from the late 1950s to mid-1960s. It then investigates a distinctive culture of therapeutic experiment of neurasthenia during this period, with emphasis on the ways in which psy scientists and medical practitioners manoeuvred in a highly politicized environment. The study concludes with a discussion of the legacy of these neurasthenia studies – in particular, the experiment with the famous ‘speedy and synthetic therapy’ – and of the implications the present study may have for future historical study of psychiatry and science.

Neurasthenia and autonomic imbalance as minor diagnoses: comparison, concept and implications

“…Although neurasthenia was interpreted as psychological in Republican China, it was viewed in Maoist China as a manifestation of weak will. People with this condition were sent to a hospital where their bodies and minds were reshaped through a series of activities and training, known as the 'speedy and synthetic therapy' (Wang 2019). Although the treatment did not last for long, neurasthenia became a major diagnosis in primary psychiatric clinics.…”

Paradox of Revolution: A Communist Patient’s Management of Neurasthenia on a Spiritual Journey

“…Thanks to these works, we know a few important, albeit scanty, findings about psychotherapy. In spite of specific areas of growth, psychotherapy frequently suffered criticisms because of its supposed Western ideological origin (W.-J. Wang, 2019).…”

Maoism and mental illness: psychiatric institutionalization during the Chinese Cultural Revolution

“…In contrast to the rich studies that have proliferated on the first half of the twentieth century, the period between 1949 and 1976 – an era marked by the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the rise to power of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the leadership of Mao Zedong – has been a rather barren terrain for historians of psychiatry. With only a few exceptions (Gao, 2015, 2019, 2020; Wang, 2019b), scholars have not made many inroads into exploring the vicissitudes of Chinese mental health practice during this time. This has been doubly true for the decade-long movement known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–76), a period marked by brutal violence, the humiliation of intellectuals and political elites, and a descent in many regions onto the brink of anarchy.…”

“…7), and later memoirs and testimonies, many of which were written by individuals who had suffered tremendously at the hands of the socialist state (Munro, 2002: 66–84, 2006: ch. 4; Wang, 2019b: 450–1).…”