Citation

Bartelsman M, Eckhardt PP. Ned. Tijdschr. Geneeskd. 2007; 151(51): 2845-2851.

Vernacular Title

Geestesziek in Nederlands-Indie--vier psychiatrische syndromen: amok, latah, koro

Affiliation

Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, Amsterdam. menneb@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Erven Bohn)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18237055

Abstract

--At the beginning of the 20th century Dutch psychiatrists in the former Dutch Indies encountered exotic psychiatric syndromes and variant expressions of psychopathological diseases that were also prevalent in Europe. --The amok and latah syndromes were reported relatively frequently and were considered typical endemic psychopathologies. Amok is an acute condition of insanity in which the affected individual, a man, attempts to kill others. Latah is a shock-like condition in which the affected individual, a woman, mimics the movements and sounds of those nearby against her will. --The koro syndrome is considered a typical but rare psychosis seen primarily among the Chinese population of the former Dutch Indies. Patients have a recurring fear of the penis retracting into the body. --A diagnosis of 'tropical neurasthenia' was frequently made in Europeans for what today would be referred to as dysthymic disorder or minor depressive disorder.

Language: nl