Latah
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| F48.8 | Other neurotic disorders |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Latah is a mental health disorder that occurs in Malaysia and Indonesia and is sometimes classified as a culture-related syndrome . The term describes both the disorder and the person who has it.
Adult women are particularly affected. Latah is characterized by dissociative seizures that are triggered by severe shock. They last between 15 minutes and several hours. During this time, latahs are extremely easy to influence, willlessly follow instructions, imitate those present, express themselves vulgarly or perform obscene gestures. After the seizure, they don't seem to be able to remember anything. Latahs are not considered responsible for their actions during a seizure.
literature
- Robert L. Winzeler: Latah in Southeast Asia: The History and Ethnography of a Culture-bound Syndrome , Cambridge University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-521-47219-9
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alphabetical directory for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 496