Recently, you might have come across news reports or social media discussions about groups of students displaying unusual or unexplained behaviours in schools.

Seeing those incidents may have made you ask a simple question: Were the students pretending? What was actually going on? If you are like most people, you have probably also come across the term ‘mass hysteria.’ Within a short time, different explanations usually begin to circulate. Some people blame ghosts or supernatural forces, others suspect poisoning, while some dismiss those affected as pretending or seeking attention. But before we jump to conclusions, let's answer a simple question: What do we mean by ‘mass hysteria’?

What many people commonly call ‘mass hysteria’ is what psychologists and other mental health professionals today often refer to as mass psychogenic illness (MPI). It is used to describe situations in which a group of people develop similar physical symptoms that cannot be explained by an infectious disease or another identifiable medical cause. While the name may sound complicated, the idea behind it is not. It reflects the connection between our minds and bodies that we often ignore or dismiss.

The fact is that our thoughts and emotions can produce physical changes. We have experienced our hearts racing before an important presentation, our hands trembling in moments of fear, or our stomachs feeling upset before an examination. Some people even develop headaches, dizziness, nausea, or difficulty sleeping during periods of intense stress. These symptoms are not imaginary. They are real physical responses triggered by the body's natural reaction to emotional distress.

If stress can affect one’s body, it should not be surprising that, under certain circumstances, it can also influence groups of people. Human beings constantly observe and respond to those around them. When people share the same environment, experience similar stressors, and witness others becoming distressed, anxiety itself can spread through a group. This does not mean that a disease is spreading. Rather, emotions and expectations can influence how people experience and interpret physical sensations. Simply put, when we are already under significant stress, our body looks for ways to express that distress. Seeing someone around us experience similar symptoms can sometimes make us more aware of our own physical sensations, leading to stress manifesting in similar ways.

This raises one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding these incidents. Since doctors may not find a virus, poison, or another obvious physical cause, many people assume that nothing really happened and that those affected must have been pretending. However, psychological does not mean imaginary. The symptoms experienced during episodes of mass psychogenic illness are genuine. People may faint, feel dizzy, experience headaches, have difficulty breathing, develop weakness, complain of stomach pain, or display unusual behaviours. These experiences are real, even if medical tests do not identify a physical disease.

Another question often asked is why these incidents occur so frequently in schools. Schools bring together large groups of young people who share the same environment, routines, and pressures. Academic expectations, family concerns, peer relationships, and personal struggles can all contribute to emotional stress. It is also important to understand that these incidents are rarely caused by one isolated event. More often, there are underlying stressors that have been building over time, with one particular incident acting as the trigger.

A simple way to understand this is by thinking about someone becoming intoxicated. We do not say that a person became drunk solely because of the last drink. We understand that it was the accumulation of all the drinks consumed beforehand, with the final drink simply pushing the body beyond its limit. Stress often works in a similar way. The incident we witness may only be the trigger, while the emotional burden has been accumulating quietly for days, weeks, or even months before finally finding an outlet.

Although recent discussions have focused mainly on schools, mass psychogenic illness is not limited to students. Similar incidents have been reported among boys, girls, adults, factory workers, military personnel, and entire communities. Nor is this phenomenon unique to Nepal. It has been documented worldwide for decades in countries with diverse cultures, religions, and levels of economic development. This reminds us that the human response to stress is universal, even though the way it is expressed may differ from one society to another.

At the same time, it is important to avoid jumping to conclusions whenever such an incident occurs. Every unexplained illness deserves a careful evaluation. Simply labelling every unexplained event as ‘mass hysteria’ without proper investigation can be just as harmful as completely dismissing the role of psychological distress.

So, how can we help people experiencing such situations? The first step is to respond calmly rather than in a panic. Spreading rumours, making fun of those affected, or immediately seeking supernatural explanations only adds to fear and confusion. At the same time, they should be treated with empathy rather than judgment. It is equally important to recognise that such incidents often point to underlying stress that may have gone unnoticed.

Creating supportive environments at home, in schools, workplaces, and communities, encouraging open conversations about mental health, and helping people manage stress before it becomes overwhelming are some of the most effective ways to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future.

We often think of physical health and mental health as two separate things, but they constantly influence one another. Fear can increase our heart rate. Anxiety can make us nauseous. Stress can trigger headaches, muscle tension, dizziness, or even fainting. That is why one of the most basic things we encourage people to do is take care of their physical well-being through proper sleep, regular physical activity, proper hydration, and sufficient rest. Looking after our bodies is also one of the simplest ways of looking after our mental health.

As conversations about recent incidents continue, we should be careful not to misuse labels or rush to conclusions. Rather than asking whether people were pretending, a more helpful question is what they may have been experiencing and how we can respond with understanding. Mental health awareness is not only about recognising disorders; it is also about understanding how the human mind works.