Epidemic grieving at a birthday party: a case of mass hysteria.

In modern Western culture, "mass hysteria" has typically taken the form of an outbreak of a mysterious physical disorder among adolescent girls in whom no organic etiology or precipitant can be identified. If properly managed (i.e., diagnosis confirmed and publicly announced), the illness is usually of relatively short duration. This is a report of an incident of contagious hysteria among preadolescent girls, manifested as grieving reactions during what should have been a happy event--a birthday party. The complex relation between situational, developmental, physical, and personality factors in mass hysteria are discussed.