Susto

Susto (, ) is a cultural illness primarily among Latin American cultures.   It is described by Razzouk et al.  as a condition of being frightened and "chronic somatic suffering stemming from emotional trauma or from witnessing traumatic experiences lived by others".  Susto is classified as a culture-bound syndrome, a symptom that occurs and is recognized within an ethnic group. 

Symptoms

Among the indigenous peoples of Latin America, in which this illness is most common, susto may be conceptualized as a case of spirit attack.  Symptoms of susto are thought to include nervousness, anorexia, insomnia, listlessness, fever, depression, and diarrhea. 

Classification
Susto may be a culturally dependent variation of the symptoms of panic attack, distinct from anxiety and depressive disorders. 

See also
 Psychological trauma

References

Further reading
 Also published as Chapter 12 in 
Susto: The context of community morbidity patterns

Category:Anthropology
Category:Culture-bound syndromes
Category:Latin American culture
Category:Superstitions of the Americas