Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the Mechanization of the Mind in British Psychology, 1948-1980.

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In contemporary mental health care in Britain, the dominant model for psychological disorders rests on an understanding of the mind as a computing machine (with 'malfunctions' and pathways). However, this understanding is increasingly criticised as 'reductive'. This project will assess the historical emergence of this model of mind through an analysis of the formation of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) at London's Institute of Psychiatry, 1948-80. It will unpick the specific conceptual and institutional roots of OCD, showing how it was pivotal in transforming the way in which we conceive of mental health and its treatment in general.