Mass illness at an intermediate school: toxic fumes or epidemic hysteria?

The report of an acute illness involving a large number of clustered children will undoubtedly provoke an urgent emergency care response or, in some instances, a mass casualty or disaster response. While responding to the perceived needs of those involved, the professionals caring for these children must consider epidemic hysteria along with the other causes of mass illness. Since the early recognition of epidemic or mass anxiety hysteria can have tremendous impact on the ease of treating this problem, that awareness is quite important.