Mass psychogenic illness: diagnostic criteria
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Mass psychogenic illness: diagnostic criteria. There is a rapid spread of the symptoms of illness without a corresponding organic cause.
Defining features
- There is a rapid spread of the symptoms of illness without a corresponding organic cause
- It affects members of a defined cohesive group
- It usually reflects the social and cultural preoccupations of the affected people
- It usually occurs when there is perceived threat which has a basis in reality
- It manifests as excitation with loss or alteration of function
- The symptoms are expressed unconsciously
- There is no personality predisposition
Diagnostic criteria
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Types
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Historical examples
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Recent examples
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Triggers
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Neurological symptoms
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Verbal symptoms
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Systemic symptoms
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Synonym
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References
- Bartholomew RE, Wessely S. Protean nature of mass sociogenic illness: from possessed nuns to chemical and biological terrorism fears. Br J Psychiatry 2002; 180:300-306.
- Weir E. Mass sociogenic illness. CMAJ 2005; 172:36.
- Tarafder BK, Khan MA, Islam MT, et al. Mass psychogenic illness: demography and symptom profile of an episode. Psychiatry J 2016; 2016:2810143.
- Kharabsheh S, Al-Otoum H, Clements J, et al. Mass psychogenic illness following tetanus-diphtheria toxoid vaccination in Jordan. Bull World Health Organ 2001; 79:764-770.
- Simas C, Munoz N, Arregoces L, Larson HJ. HPV vaccine confidence and cases of mass psychogenic illness following immunization in Carmen de Bolivar, Colombia. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2019; 15:163-166.
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