A study on inducements, clinical features and interventions in a case of mass hysteria / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical features, inducements and interventions in a case of mass hysteria. Methods A mass hysteria strook after a fight gang in a factory. Fifty-four cases were diagnosed as mass hysteria. The general information and clinical symptoms of all patients with mass hysteria were collected. All patients were assessed us-ing Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) before treatment, and at the end of one, two and four weeks of the treatment, respec-tively. Results The patients were thirty-eight females (70.4%) and sixteen males (29.6%), with average age (20.26±2.04) years old. Fifty patients showed anxious about self-safety mostly. The most common symptoms were convulsions or con-vulsive seizure in forty-seven cases (87.0%), outburst of emotion in thirty-two cases (59.3%), and episodic syncope in twenty-nine cases (53.7%). Thirty-four cases (62.96%) were disscoiative disorders mixed with conversion disorders. The scores of HAMA at the end of one, two and four weeks of the treatment were lower than that before treatment (all P<0.05). Conclusions The inducements of such an episode of mass hysteria are witness of fighting and the overwhelming anxiety about self-security. Disscoiative disorders mixed with conversion disorders is the major clinical feature. In order to control the episode of mass hysteria, the priority task is to relieve people’s anxiety.