Psychology and Health in the Long Nineteenth Century

By the end of the nineteenth century, many Western societies were experiencing both the promise and the problems of the Industrial Revolution. One result of industrialization was the disenchantment of traditional worldviews. Many citizens of these countries turned for reassurance to various spiritual, mental, and physical disciplines that promised health and well-being. The practices they developed prepared the way not only for the emergence of modern psychological sciences and applications but for contemporary alternative approaches to self-help health care.