Why Do Strange Symptoms Spread Through Schools?

Introduction

Ugandan schools have repeatedly experienced outbreaks in which groups of pupils suddenly faint, scream, shake, run uncontrollably, report seeing spirits, or behave as though they are possessed. These incidents are frightening for students, families and teachers because they often resemble an infectious disease or a supernatural attack, yet medical investigations frequently fail to identify a poisoning, infection or other physical cause. Researchers generally place many of these episodes within the category of mass psychogenic illness (sometimes called mass sociogenic illness), where genuine physical symptoms spread through a closely connected group under conditions of stress, fear and shared expectation. That explanation does not mean the pupils are pretending or that their suffering is imaginary. Instead, it suggests that psychological and social pressures can produce very real physical experiences that spread through observation, rumour and anxiety.[nih.gov]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literaturePMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literature

The Ugandan cases are especially interesting because they often unfold in communities where Christian beliefs, traditional spiritual ideas and local concerns about witchcraft coexist. As a result, outbreaks are commonly interpreted through several competing frameworks at once: medical, religious and cultural.

Why do strange symptoms spread through schools?

Schools provide many of the conditions that make mass psychogenic illness possible. Students spend long periods together, observe one another closely and share the same rumours, fears and expectations. Boarding schools can intensify these dynamics because pupils are separated from their families, have limited privacy and experience similar routines and pressures every day. International reviews of school outbreaks consistently identify stress, rumours, uncertainty, media attention, distrust of authorities and close social contact as major factors that allow symptoms to spread.[PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govFactors related to the occurrence of mass psychogenic illness in schools: a systematic review - PubMed…

In Uganda, outbreaks have involved symptoms such as:

These symptoms are genuine to those experiencing them. The defining feature is not that they are “fake”, but that medical investigation often finds no single toxic, neurological or infectious explanation capable of accounting for the pattern across the affected group.[PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govFactors related to the occurrence of mass psychogenic illness in schools: a systematic review - PubMed…

Possession claims, stress and social transmission

Many Ugandan school outbreaks are described locally as cases of demonic possession or witchcraft. These explanations matter because they influence how people react.

Where students believe that spirits or curses are responsible, fear itself can amplify the outbreak. Seeing classmates collapse, hearing stories of possession or witnessing prayer sessions may reinforce expectations that others are also vulnerable. Researchers studying African school outbreaks argue that local cultural beliefs shape the form that mass psychogenic illness takes. In societies where spirit possession is a familiar way of explaining distress, outbreaks are more likely to be interpreted in those terms than as a medical or psychological condition.[PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literaturePMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literature

Stress also plays an important role. Common pressures include:

Stress alone does not automatically produce an outbreak, but it appears to create conditions in which symptoms can spread rapidly through observation and expectation.[nih.gov]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govFactors related to the occurrence of mass psychogenic illness in schools: a systematic review - PubMed…

Notable Ugandan school outbreaks

Published evidence shows that these incidents are not isolated.

A medical report published in 1973 documented a significant outbreak described at the time as “mass hysteria” in an Ankole school. Although terminology has changed considerably since then, the report established that Uganda had experienced school-based episodes decades before the subject attracted wider international attention.[PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPub Med A preliminary report on "mass hysteria" in an Ankole school in UgandaA preliminary report on "mass hysteria" in an Ankole school in Uganda - PubMed…

Later reports describe repeated episodes affecting boarding schools. A review of African literature notes abnormal dancing behaviour among girls at Ndeje Secondary School during the 1980s, repeated “demon” outbreaks reported at Mityana Secondary School between the late 1980s and early 2000s, and episodes at Sir Tito Winyi Primary School in Hoima where large numbers of pupils reportedly ran out of control while local communities interpreted the events as demonic attacks. In that case, church prayers were organised, and local disputes even led to criminal allegations that individuals had cast spells on the school.[PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literaturePMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literature

More recently, Ugandan newspapers have continued to report schools temporarily closing after pupils and even teachers claimed to experience demonic possession. Psychologists interviewed alongside these reports have generally argued that mass hysteria or related psychological mechanisms offer a more plausible explanation than literal supernatural attack, while recognising that affected communities may sincerely hold different beliefs.[Monitor]monitor.co.ugMpigi school closed over demon possession claims by pupils, teachers | MonitorApril 4, 2022…Published: April 4, 2022

How schools, churches and officials respond

Responses often combine medical, religious and administrative measures rather than relying on only one approach.

Typical responses include:

This combination reflects Uganda’s religious landscape as well as practical concerns. Even when health professionals suspect mass psychogenic illness, school administrators may still invite clergy because parents expect a spiritual response or because it helps reassure the wider community.[Monitor]monitor.co.ugMpigi school closed over demon possession claims by pupils, teachers | MonitorApril 4, 2022…Published: April 4, 2022

Medical experts generally caution that dramatic public reactions can unintentionally prolong outbreaks by reinforcing fear. Calm communication, excluding physical causes and reducing rumours are considered important parts of management.[PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govFactors related to the occurrence of mass psychogenic illness in schools: a systematic review - PubMed…

Why researchers avoid simple explanations

Modern researchers are cautious about older labels such as “mass hysteria”. The phrase has often been criticised for implying irrationality, particularly among girls and women, and for overlooking wider social conditions.

Instead, scholars increasingly use terms such as mass psychogenic illness or mass sociogenic illness, emphasising that:

Historical studies of Uganda also argue that outbreaks cannot be understood apart from their political and cultural context. Periods of conflict, insecurity or rapid social change have shaped both the occurrence of collective distress and the ways authorities interpreted it.[OUP Academic]academic.oup.comOUP AcademicInvestigating “Mass Hysteria” in Early Postcolonial Uganda: Benjamin H. Kagwa, East African Psychiatry, and the Gisu | Journa…

Why these episodes remain culturally important

School outbreaks continue to attract public attention because they sit at the intersection of medicine, religion and community belief. For many families, reports of possession fit longstanding understandings of spiritual danger. For clinicians, they illustrate how stress and social influence can create dramatic physical symptoms without an infectious disease. For historians and anthropologists, they reveal how explanations of illness are shaped by culture as much as by biology.

Rather than proving or disproving supernatural beliefs, these episodes demonstrate that fear, expectation and social relationships can strongly influence how distress is experienced and expressed. Uganda’s repeated school outbreaks therefore remain important not because they offer evidence for a single explanation, but because they show how different systems of belief—medical, religious and cultural—compete and sometimes coexist when communities confront mysterious illness.[nih.gov]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literaturePMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literature

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Why Do Strange Symptoms Spread Through Schools?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

It's All in Your Head

By Suzanne O'Sullivan

First published 2015. Subjects: Medicine, psychosomatic, Emotions.

See on Amazon

Book

The geography of madness

By Frank Bures

First published 2016. Subjects: Ethnopsychology, Ethnology, Transcultural Psychiatry, Human geography, Medical anthropology.

See on Amazon

Book

Hystories

By Elaine Showalter

First published 1997. Subjects: Epidemic Hysteria, Hysteria (Social psychology), Hysteria, Epidemic, Popular culture, Kultur.

See on Amazon

Book

Mass psychogenic illness

By Michael Colligan, James W. Pennebaker et al.

First published 1982. Subjects: Psychosomatic aspects, Mass behavior, Industrial psychiatry, Hysteria (Social psychology), Psychophysiolo...

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon:It's All in Your HeadThe geography of madnessHystories

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Endnotes

1. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Title: PMCEpisodes of mass hysteria in African schools: A study of literature
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3588562/

2. Source: academic.oup.com
Link:https://academic.oup.com/jhmas/article-abstract/70/1/105/750583

3. Source: academic.oup.com
Link:https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article/31/3/285/2355435

4. Source: academic.oup.com
Link:https://academic.oup.com/jhmas/article-pdf/70/1/105/5086160/jrt055.pdf

5. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40537604/

6. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Title: Pub Med A preliminary report on “mass hysteria” in an Ankole school in Uganda
Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4743988/

7. Source: monitor.co.ug
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/mpigi-school-closed-over-demon-possession-claims-by-pupils-teachers-3770560

Published: April 4, 2022

8. Source: monitor.co.ug
Title: Two pupils die after suspected food poisoning at Mukono school | Monitor
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/two-pupils-die-after-suspected-food-poisoning-at-mukono-school-4400336

9. Source: monitor.co.ug
Title: Learners in fear over food-related illnesses | Monitor
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/learners-in-fear-over-food-related-illnesses-4398244

10. Source: monitor.co.ug
Title: Nakanyonyi school food was contaminated, says police report | Monitor
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nakanyonyi-school-food-was-contaminated-says-police-report-4339562

11. Source: monitor.co.ug
Title: Expedite probe into students’ poisoning | Monitor
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/editorial/expedite-probe-into-students-poisoning–4312216

12. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24191308/

13. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4060147/

14. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4988490/

15. Source: monitor.co.ug
Title: A rational approach to the primary school ‘demon’ crisis | Monitor
Link:https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/lifestyle/religion/a-rational-approach-to-the-primary-school-demon-crisis-1490058

16. Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2878595/

17. Source: GOV.UK
Title: www.gov.uk Media and mental health in Uganda
Link:https://www.gov.uk/research-for-development-outputs/media-and-mental-health-in-uganda

18. Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20401630/

Additional References

19. Source: uniph.go.ug
Link:https://uniph.go.ug/amp/chickenpox-outbreak-fueled-by-lack-of-vaccination-and-congestion-among-pupils-in-school-x-kampala-city-uganda-august-2025/

Published: august 2025

20. Source: uniph.go.ug
Link:https://uniph.go.ug/chickenpox-outbreak-fueled-by-lack-of-vaccination-and-congestion-among-pupils-in-school-x-kampala-city-uganda-august-2025/

Published: august 2025

21. Source: dailyexpress.co.ug
Title: Property worth millions destroyed in Ngora school dormitory fire – Daily Express
Link:https://dailyexpress.co.ug/2026/06/02/property-worth-millions-destroyed-in-ngora-school-dormitory-fire/

Published: June 2, 2026

22. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eits1oi4Fag

23. Source: youtube.com
Title: Can Laughter Kill You?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpJKn8qdq4M

24. Source: youtube.com
Title: East African Laughing Epidemic – History Documentary
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGVvD7hlYzI

25. Source: youtube.com
Title: GOOD MORNING KIGEZI
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7QdbxYaI3Y

Published: June 2025

26. Source: visualize.jove.com
Link:https://visualize.jove.com/40537604-factors-related-to-the-occurrence-of-mass-psychogenic-illness-in-schools-a-systematic-review

27. Source: dergipark.org.tr
Link:https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jnbs/article/1741021

28. Source: dailyexpress.co.ug
Link:https://dailyexpress.co.ug/2025/06/08/kabale-school-closed-after-pupils-suffer-demonic-attacks-linked-to-teacher/