Ataque de nervios explained

Spanish; Castilian: Ataque de nervios (pronounced as /es/), also known as nervous tension^[1]) is a psychological syndrome mostly associated, in the United States, with Spanish-speaking people from the Caribbean, although commonly identified among all Iberian-descended cultures. Spanish; Castilian: Ataque de nervios translates into English as "attack of nerves".^[2] It is used in its common cultural form to refer to a specific pattern of symptoms, rather than being a general term for feeling nervous.^[3]

The Diccionario Panhispánico de Términos Médicos translates it as "attack of nerves, nervous breakdown".^[4] The condition appears in Appendix I of the revised fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) as a culture-bound syndrome.^{[5] [6]}

Classification

Despite comparisons to panic attacks, investigators have identified Spanish; Castilian: ataque de nervios as a separate syndrome with measured differences in anxiety sensitivity, and types of attacks. Marlene Steinberg, an Associate Research Scientist at Yale University stated that because it is similar to Multiple Personality Disorder, some Hispanics may be misdiagnosed with an Spanish; Castilian: ataque de nervios syndrome instead.^{[2] [7]}

Symptoms

Reported aspects of the syndrome include uncontrollable screaming or shouting, crying, trembling, sensations of heat rising in the chest and head, dissociative experiences, and verbal or physical aggression.^{[8] [9] [10]} The syndrome is usually associated with a stressful event relating to the family, although it is not specifically defined as arising from such occurrences.^[11] It does not involve intense fear.^[4]

History

Spanish; Castilian: Ataque de nervios was first mentioned after studies were conducted by US psychiatrists who focused on healthcare for Hispanic populations, particularly individuals who were Puerto Rican and living in the United States .^[12]

Works

• Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Spain, 1988

See also

• Dissociative identity disorder
• Nervous breakdown
• Susto, Latin America
• Hwabyeong, Korea
• Posttraumatic stress disorder

Notes and References

1. Steinberg, Marlene (1990) Transcultural issues in psychiatry: The Ataque and multiple personality disorder; Dissociation 3(1):31-33 https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/1494
2. Razzouk D, Nogueira B, Mari Jde J . The contribution of Latin American and Caribbean countries on culture bound syndromes studies for the ICD-10 revision: key findings from a working in progress . Rev Bras Psiquiatr . 33 Suppl 1 . S5–20 . May 2011 . 21845335 . 10.1590/S1516-44462011000500003. free .
3. Ataque de nervios and panic disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994. 151. 6. 871 - 875. 10.1176/ajp.151.6.871. 8184996. Liebowitz. M. R.. Salmán. E.. Jusino. C. M.. Garfinkel. R.. Street. L.. Cárdenas. D. L.. Silvestre. J.. Fyer. A. J.. Carrasco. J. L.. Davies. S..
4. Web site: DPTM Resultados . Diccionario panhispánico de términos médicos . Real Academia Nacional de Medicina de España, ALANAM . 9 January 2024 . es.
5. Book: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: DSM-IV-TR. 1 January 2000. American Psychiatric Pub. 978-0-89042-665-4. xxxiv.
6. Book: Yo Jackson. Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology. 18 August 2006. SAGE Publications. 978-1-4129-0948-8. 131.
7. Keough M. E., Timpano K. R., Schmidt N. B. . 2009 . Ataques de nervios: culturally bound and distinct from panic attacks?. . Depress. Anxiety . 26 . 1. 16–21 . 10.1002/da.20498 . 18781666 .
8. Lewis-Fernandez, R., Guarnaccia, P. J., Patel, S., Lizardi, D., & Diaz, N. (2005). Ataque de Nervios: Anthropological, epidemiological, and clinical dimensions of a cultural syndrome. In A. M. Georgiopoulos & J. F. Rosenbaum (Eds.), Perspectives in cross-cultural psychiatry. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
9. Rhoades, G., & Sar, V. (2005). Trauma and dissociation in a cross-cultural perspective: Not just a North American phenomenom. Binghamton, NY: The Hawthorn Press.
10. Book: Gherovici . P. . Christian . C. . Psychoanalysis in the Barrios: Race, Class, and the Unconscious . Taylor & Francis . 2018 . 978-0-429-79360-8 . 29 August 2019 . 123.
11. Book: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: DSM-IV-TR. 1 January 2000. American Psychiatric Pub. 978-0-89042-665-4. 899.
12. Guarnaccia . Peter . 2002-01-01 . Comparative phenomenology of ataques de nervios, panic attacks, and panic disorder . Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry. 26 . 2 . 199–223 . 10.1023/a:1016349624867 . 12211325 . 21477780 .