The concept of 'delusion' in Spanish psychiatry

Abstract

The history of the concept of delusion can be used to explore the general history of psychiatry in Spain and assess the contribution of her most distinguished practitioners. As this paper shows, the latter have not been as creative as their fellow artists or writers. Nonetheless, the ideas on delusions that some of them formulated deserve attention. The history of Spanish psychiatry (qua science) can be divided into four historical periods. (1) The native origins (up to the end of the eighteenth century). (2) The introduction of European psypchiatry (nineteenth century). (3) The period of consolidation (first third of the twentieth century). (4) From the Civil War (1936-39) to the present. These four periods provide a framework within which theories about delusion can be explored. Aspects of these four stages have been dealt with in earlier papers.