Constance Pascal is one of the first female clinical psychiatrists in France at the turn of the 20th century. However, she fell into obscurity for a time, until the 1990s when historians and psychiatrists rediscovered her. Of Romanian origin, she decided early on to take control of her destiny and left to study medicine in Paris. She is known for her work on early dementia and the creation of the first school for children with severe learning difficulties. She contributed greatly to the progress of Psychiatry – particularly by improving the living conditions of patients in asylums* and fighting for the recognition of women’s work in asylums.

Childhood and Education

Career as a Psychiatrist

She successfully entered medical school in 1903 and became an assistant physician in asylums in 1908. Throughout her career, she worked in six different asylums, including during World War I. At this time, hospitals were facing an increasing number of psychiatric patients. The living conditions for these patients and medical teams were poor, and Constance Pascal found this unacceptable. She therefore worked tirelessly to reform the system. Constance Pascal fought particularly to end the mistreatment (punishments and straitjackets) of patients in the hospitals where she worked. Her dream was to create outpatient services better suited to patients’ needs and to create learning schools for disabled children. Although she didn’t always manage to impose her ideas on the existing medical teams, her work was recognized. At the end of her career, she was appointed medical director of the Maison Blanche hospital. In addition to her medical career, she pursued research and published several studies and books on early dementia, post-traumatic therapy, and psychoanalysis (e.g., Early Dementia).

Photos of two books written by Constance Pascal. Early Dementia, 1911; Love Sorrows and Psychoses, 1935. Credit: BnF.

Private and Public Life

In a society where women rarely held high-responsibility positions, Constance Pascal distinguished herself as a clinical psychiatrist. However, maintaining this position required personal sacrifices. While pregnant with her daughter, she was forced to hide her pregnancy to preserve her job. To keep this secret, she took extended sick leave and gave birth without putting her name on her daughter’s birth certificate. Later, she officially adopted her own daughter.

She began her career in asylums in the French countryside, where she struggled to impose her innovative vision to improve medical practices. Constance aspired to leave this place where “selfishness and ‘greed’ oppressed her. She finally moved closer to Paris, where she found both professional fulfillment and personal happiness. She managed to lead a brilliant medical career and offer the best possible education to her daughter.”

Influence on Psychiatry and Society

Constance Pascal was a pioneer in her field, embodying the qualities of a ‘new woman’ – independent and ambitious. She was a feminist leader, opening doors for others and serving as a role model for future generations. Although she was not actively involved in the feminist movement in France at the time, she contributed to the cause in her own way. Her doctoral thesis was celebrated as a success for women by her peers. She fought tirelessly to improve the training of nurses and working conditions in the hospitals where she worked, and she made positions in Psychiatry accessible to women. Her appointment as the first psychiatric expert in military tribunals dealing with victims of post-traumatic syndrome highlighted her exceptional abilities and dedication to her profession. Today, her contributions to the field of Psychiatry and her pioneering role as a woman psychiatrist are still celebrated through blog posts, articles; Streets, hospital units, and various awards (EPA Pascal-Boyle Prize) bear her name.