Which culture-bound syndrome is described as a severe, chronic psychosis with incoherence and possible violence?

Which culture-bound syndrome is described as a severe, chronic psychosis with incoherence and possible violence?

• A. Locura
• B. Susto
• C. Nervios
• D. Mal de Ojo

Answer: (A)

Locura reflects a culture-bound presentation of a severe, chronic psychosis in which thinking becomes incoherent and behavior can include violence. In some Latin American and Caribbean communities, locura is described as a breakdown of mental function that lasts a long time and may involve disorganized speech, delusions, and aggression. This contrasts with Susto, which is framed as fright or soul loss leading to worry and physical symptoms; Nervios, meaning nerves, centers on anxiety and somatic distress rather than frank psychosis; and Mal de Ojo, the evil eye belief, attributes illness to envy or malevolent gaze, typically affecting children. So the description aligns most closely with locura.

Locura reflects a culture-bound presentation of a severe, chronic psychosis in which thinking becomes incoherent and behavior can include violence. In some Latin American and Caribbean communities, locura is described as a breakdown of mental function that lasts a long time and may involve disorganized speech, delusions, and aggression. This contrasts with Susto, which is framed as fright or soul loss leading to worry and physical symptoms; Nervios, meaning nerves, centers on anxiety and somatic distress rather than frank psychosis; and Mal de Ojo, the evil eye belief, attributes illness to envy or malevolent gaze, typically affecting children. So the description aligns most closely with locura.