Daily Science Dose

Mass hysteria is a condition in which groups of people simultaneously develop similar or identical physical symptoms that do not have a direct physiological basis. Wikipedia explains, “It may begin when a group witnesses an individual becoming hysterical during a traumatic or extremely stressful event.”

Skeptically.org makes the following distinction between collective delusions and mass hysteria:

“Collective delusions are typified as the spontaneous, rapid spread of false or exaggerated beliefs within a population at large…Mass hysteria [consists of] episodes [that] typically affect small, tightly knit groups in enclosed settings such as schools, factories, convents and orphanages.

Mass hysteria is characterized by the rapid spread of conversion disorder [note: please see links here and here], a condition involving the appearance of bodily complaints for which there is no organic basis. In such episodes, psychological distress is converted or channeled into physical symptoms…

The term mass hysteria is often used inappropriately to describe collective delusions, as the overwhelming majority of participants are not exhibiting hysteria, except in extremely rare cases. In short, all mass hysterias are collective delusions as they involve false or exaggerated beliefs, but only rarely do collective delusions involve mass hysteria as to do so, they must report illness symptoms.”

Common physical symptoms of mass hysteria include dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. People may also experience what appear to be epileptic seizures, a condition referred to as conversion seizures , or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

Here are the diagnostic criteria given by the DSM-IV:

“A. One or more symptoms or deficits affecting voluntary motor or sensory function that suggest a neurological or other general medical condition.

B. Psychological factors are judged to be associated with the symptom or deficit because the initiation or exacerbation of the symptom or deficit is preceded by conflicts or other stressors.

C. The symptom or deficit is not intentionally produced or feigned (as in Factitious Disorder or Malingering).

D. The symptom or deficit cannot, after appropriate investigation, be fully explained by a general medical condition, or by the direct effects of a substance, or as a culturally sanctioned behavior or experience.

E. The symptom or deficit causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning or warrants medical evaluation.

F. The symptom or deficit is not limited to pain or sexual dysfunction, does not occur exclusively during the course of Somatization Disorder, and is not better accounted for by another mental disorder.”

A recent case of mass hysteria occurred this past fall in Mexico, at a Catholic school for girls. Six hundred students were diagnosed with the disorder (articles here, and here). Similar cases have occured in Thailand and Chechnya.

The condition affects more women than men, and is especially common in teenagers (female mass hysteria). So, especially common in teenage girls, ala Salem witch trials or screaming, weeping, and fainting Beatles fans.

Bottom line: mass hysteria is way intense. It’s not necessarily about beliefs; it goes beyond just collective delusion and results in physical manifestations that can be extreme. These physical symptoms seem to become contagious, quickly spreading through a closely associated group of people. Sorta like mob mentality gone haywire.

This post has been a bit info-heavy, hasn’t it? Here’s a quick and fun fact for you: did you know that there’s a type of seizure where you lay down on the floor and bicycle your legs for a while? There so totally is. No one ever believes the people who have these seizures, like, they don’t believe that they’re not doing it on purpose. And, often, the people having the seizure don’t know that they’ve done it.

This is my favorite kind of seizure. My friends and I like to imagine it happening on a first date.

mass hysteria, seizures, teenage girls, conversion disorders, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures