Explainer: Understanding causes and symptoms of hysteria

Last week, the Ministry of Education closed St Theresa's Eregi Girls' High School after a number of students were hospitalised over a mysterious illness.

Education officials in Kakamega County decided to temporarily close the school on Wednesday after students went on a rampage.

The incident resulted in more than 100 students being hospitalised after suffering weak limbs and experiencing difficulties in walking due to shaking of the body.

Blood samples from the affected students which were sent to Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in Nairobi and Kisumu for further analysis showed the absence of any disease.

However, it was later communicated that the students were suffering from hysteria, which was attributed to the forthcoming end-of-year exams.

“Results have shown the learners were not suffering from any illness. This indicates a psychological challenge that could have been driven by panic,” Kakamega county Health Executive Bernard Wesonga said.

But just what is hysteria, its causes, symptoms and treatment?

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) website, hysteria is the first mental disorder attributable to women and was cured with herbs, sex or sexual abstinence.

As more clinical studies were conducted on the condition, the disease began to be treated with innovative therapies.

McGill's site says before its classification as a mental disorder, hysteria was considered a physical ailment.

iCliniq on the other hand defines hysteria as a mental health disorder that includes several sensory, motor, and psychic disturbances.

“Motor symptoms include complete paralysis, tremors, or convulsions. When the disease progresses, it may even cause loss of speech, vomiting, hiccupping,” iCliniq says.

Sensory disturbances may lead to symptoms such as complete or partial loss of sensation or it might cause damage to other sensory organs and cause blindness, hearing loss, and loss of taste or smell in severe cases.

It notes that there can be mass hysteria where an outbreak of unusual behaviours shared among a large group of people is reported.

Individuals with mass hysteria do not have any underlying medical condition but can have triggers or might have similar behaviour patterns on a regular basis.

The experts say it is likely to be caused by a number of factors such as early childhood trauma as a result of child abuse or parental neglect.

“No significant diagnostic test is available to confirm the diagnosis of the disorder, but a person can be termed hysteric if he/she frequently presents behavioural symptoms,” iCliniq says.

“Hysteria can be prevented during its onset by avoiding the conditions that promote the flare or growth of the disorder, or the symptoms can be controlled in various ways that help a person cope with the disorder.”

For instance, it is recommended that individuals prevent overthinking, take part in breathing exercises to help prevent anxiety and reduce stress or engage in physical activities such as hiking and trekking as well as getting enough sleep.