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Collective hysteria, or mass hysteria, is the sociopsychological phenomenon of the manifestation of the same hysterical symptoms by more than one person. It may begin when a group witness an individual becoming hysterical during a traumatic or extremely stressful event. A potential symptom is group nausea, in which a person becoming violently ill triggers a similar reaction in other group members.

Examples include certain cases of rioting and frenzy, and accidents in which people act "irrationally" (screaming, running in the wrong direction, hunting down and brutally murdering scapegoats, etc.).


See also[]

References[]

Books[]

  • Bartholomew, R. E. (2001). Little green men, meowing nuns and head-hunting panics: A study of mass psychogenic illness and social delusion. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Papers[]

  • Ali-Gombe, A., Guthrie, E., & McDermott, N. (1996). Mass hysteria: One syndrome or two? : British Journal of Psychiatry Vol 168(5) May 1996, 633-635.
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  • Balaratnasingam, S., & Janca, A. (2006). Mass hysteria revisited: Current Opinion in Psychiatry Vol 19(2) Mar 2006, 171-174.
  • Bartholomew, R. (1997). Mass hysteria: British Journal of Psychiatry Vol 170(4) Apr 1997, 387-388.
  • Bartholomew, R. E. (1990). Ethnocentricity and the social construction of "mass hysteria." Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry Vol 14(4) Dec 1990, 455-494.
  • Bartholomew, R. E. (1993). Redefining epidemic hysteria: An example from Sweden: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol 88(3) Sep 1993, 178-182.
  • Bartholomew, R. E. (1994). Tarantism, dancing mania and demonopathy: The anthro-political aspects of "mass psychogenic illness." Psychological Medicine Vol 24(2) May 1994, 281-306.
  • Bartholomew, R. E. (1994). When the consequences of beliefs are defined as psychiatric entities: Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Vol 15(1) Feb 1994, 62-64.
  • Bartholomew, R. E., & Sirois, F. (1996). Epidemic hysteria in schools: An international and historical overview: Educational Studies Vol 22(3) Oct 1996, 285-311.
  • Bartholomew, R. E., & Sirois, F. (2000). Occupational mass psychogenic illness: A transcultural perspective: Transcultural Psychiatry Vol 37(4) Dec 2000, 495-524.
  • Bartholomew, R. E., & Wessely, S. (2002). Protean nature of mass sociogenic illness: From possessed nuns to chemical and biological terrorism fears: British Journal of Psychiatry Vol 180(4) Apr 2002, 300-306.
  • Benaim, S., Horder, J., & Anderson, J. (1973). Hysterical epidemic in a classroom: Psychological Medicine Vol 3(3) Aug 1973, 366-373.
  • Black, D., Welch, F., & Murray, V. (2000). "Mass psychogenic illness attributed to toxic exposure at a high school": Comment: New England Journal of Medicine Vol 342(22) Jun 2000, 1674.
  • Campbell, N. D. (2007). Review of Panic diaries: A genealogy of panic disorder: Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences Vol 43(3) Sum 2007, 316-318.
  • Ceschia, C., & Cozzi, D. (1989). The "hysterodemonopathy" epidemic of Verzegnis (1879): Archivio di Psicologia, Neurologia e Psichiatria Vol 50(2) Apr-Jun 1989, 214-217.
  • Chakraborty, A. (1993). Possessions and hysterias: What do they signify? : Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review Vol 30(4) 1993, 393-399.
  • Champion, F. P., & Taylor, R. (1963). Mass hysteria associated with insect bites: Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association 59 1963, 351-353.
  • Chen, C.-S., Yen, C.-F., Lin, H.-F., & Yang, P. (2003). Mass hysteria and perceptions of the supernatural among adolescents girl students in Taiwan: Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease Vol 191(2) Feb 2003, 122-123.
  • Cohen, P., Kasen, S., Chen, H., Gordon, K., Berenson, K., Brook, J., et al. (2006). Current affairs and the public psyche: American anxiety in the post 9/11 world: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Vol 41(4) Apr 2006, 251-260.
  • Crocq, L. (1992). Collective panics and age-old fears: Psychologie Medicale Vol 24(Spec Issue 4) 1992, 395-401.
  • Dhadphale, M., & Shaikh, S. P. (1983). Epidemic hysteria in a Zambian school: "The mysterious madness of Mwinilunga." British Journal of Psychiatry Vol 142 Jan 1983, 85-88.
  • Gehlen, F. L. (1977). Toward a revised theory of hysterical contagion: Journal of Health and Social Behavior Vol 18(1) Mar 1977, 27-35.
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  • Guaraldi, G. P., Antonica, M. R., Ruggerini, C., & Chiossi, C. (1995). Epidemic (mass) hysteria: description of an episode and review of literature: Psichiatria dell'infanzia e dell'adolescenza Vol 62(3) May-Jun 1995, 231-247.
  • Gupta, R., Vohra, A. K., Madaan, V., & Gaur, D. R. (2001). Mass hysteria among high school girls following tetanus toxoid immunisation: Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine Vol 18(3) Sep 2001, 90-92.
  • Halpern, D. F. (2003). The tabloids and "B" movies finally got it right: Alien abductions and man-eating tomatoes are old news: PsycCRITIQUES Vol 48 (5), Oct, 2003.
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  • Johnson, D. M. (1945). The "phantom anesthetist" of Mattoon: a field study of mass hysteria: The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology Vol 40(2) Apr 1945, 175-186.
  • Jones, T., Craig, A., & Schaffner, W. (2000). "Mass psychogenic illness attributed to toxic exposure at a high school": Reply: New England Journal of Medicine Vol 342(22) Jun 2000, 1675.
  • Jones, T. F., Craig, A. S., Hoy, D., Gunter, E. W., Ashley, D. L., Barr, D. B., et al. (2000). Mass psychogenic illness attributed to toxic exposure at a high school: New England Journal of Medicine Vol 342(2) Jan 2000, 96-100.
  • Lee, P. W. H., Leung, P. W. L., Fung, A. S. M., & Low, L. C. K. (1996). An episode of syncope attacks in adolescent schoolgirls: Investigations, intervention and outcome: British Journal of Medical Psychology Vol 69(3) Sep 1996, 247-257.
  • Lee, R. L., & Ackerman, S. E. (1980). The sociocultural dynamics of mass hysteria: A case study of social conflict in West Malaysia: Psychiatry: Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes Vol 43(1) Fal 1980, 78-88.
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  • Levine, S. B., & Risen, C. B. (2004). The Crisis in the Church: Dealing with the Many Faces of Cultural Hysteria: International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies Vol 1(4) 2004, 364-370.
  • Lienard, P., & Boyer, P. (2006). Whence Collective Rituals? A Cultural Selection Model of Ritualized Behavior: American Anthropologist Vol 108(4) Dec 2006, 814-827.
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  • McLeod, W. R. (1975). Merphos poisoning or mass panic? : Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry Vol 9(4) Dec 1975, 225-229.
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  • Miller, D. L., Mietus, K. J., & Mathers, R. A. (1978). A critical examination of the social contagion image of collective behavior: The case of the Enfield Monster: Sociological Quarterly Vol 19(1) Win 1978, 129-140.
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  • Narayanan, H. S., & Mahal, A. S. (1980). A clinical report of epidemic hysteria in six members of a family: Advances in Family Psychiatry Vol 2 1980, 289-293.
  • Neubaur, C., & Wilkens, L. (1997). Propaganda as religion in National Socialism: Psyche: Zeitschrift fur Psychoanalyse und ihre Anwendungen Vol 51(3) Mar 1997, 253-277.
  • Olkinuora, M. (1984). Psychogenic epidemics and work: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health Vol 10(6) Dec 1984, 501-504.
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  • Ramalingaswami, V. (2001). Psychosocial effects of the 1994 plague outbreak in Surat, India: Military Medicine Vol 166(12,Suppl 2) Dec 2001, 29-30.
  • Rankin, A. M., & Philip, P. J. (1963). An epidemic of laughing in the Bukoba district of Tanganyika: Central African Journal of Medicine 9(5) 1963, 167-170.
  • Raschka, L. B. (1976). Lynching: A psychiatrist's view: The Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal / La Revue de l'Association des psychiatres du Canada Vol 21(8) Dec 1976, 577-580.
  • Rifkin, A. (2000). "Responding to mass psychogenic illness": Comment: New England Journal of Medicine Vol 342(22) Jun 2000, 1674-1675.
  • Roach, E. S., & Langley, R. L. (2004). Episodic Neurological Dysfunction Due to Mass Hysteria: Archives of Neurology Vol 61(8) Aug 2004, 1269-1272.
  • Roback, H. B., Roback, E., & LaBarbera, J. D. (1984). Epidemic grieving at a birthday party: A case of mass hysteria: Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Vol 5(2) Apr 1984, 86-89.
  • Rockney, R. M., & Lemke, T. (1992). Casualties from a junior-senior high school during the Persian Gulf War: Toxic poisoning or mass hysteria? : Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Vol 13(5) Oct 1992, 339-342.
  • Rockney, R. M., & Lemke, T. (1994). "When the consequences of beliefs are defined as psychiatric entities": Response: Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Vol 15(1) Feb 1994, 64-65.
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  • Sjoberg, R. L. (1995). Child testimonies during an outbreak of witch hysteria: Sweden 1670-1671: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Vol 36(6) Sep 1995, 1039-1051.
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  • Small, G. W., & Nicholi, A. M. (1982). Mass hysteria among schoolchildren: Early loss as a predisposing factor: Archives of General Psychiatry Vol 39(6) Jun 1982, 721-724.
  • Small, G. W., Propper, M. W., Randolph, E. T., & Eth, S. (1991). Mass hysteria among student performers: Social relationship as a symptom predictor: American Journal of Psychiatry Vol 148(9) Sep 1991, 1200-1205.
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