Cabin fever occurs at sea, on land, in the air, in space. Principally, it occurs in our minds. This fascinating book examines ‘cabin fever’ in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the greatest confinement of people to their homes in history.

The book outlines the origins and history of cabin fever, in particular, how this psychological folk syndrome emerged out of the affliction of physical infection,
notably in the case of typhus, which spread from the overcrowded, rural cabins of Ireland in the Great Famine to the pioneering frontiers of North America.

It was here that the notion of a psychological ‘fever’ or restlessness began to replace the actual physical fever of typhus, as pioneers took to cabins for long periods, especially during winter months. Similar syndromes, with different names, emerged in other challenging or remote regions.

The book explores the evidence of mental decline caused by prolonged or extreme social isolation, in particular what we learn from penal history and solitary confinement as well as the importance of social connectivity in maintaining good mental health.

Accounts from literature, memoir, and reportage reveal the fascinating and sometimes frightening aspects of the phenomenon. We are all learning how to live with lockdown and may have to do so long into the future. This book provides an account of the chief antidotes for cabin fever.