title: Hysteria: its nature and explanation.
abstract: Hysteria is a concept that has led to much confusion and controversy. It is argued that a phenomenon exists which needs to be explained. The main contemporary approaches to hysteria are considered and all are shown to have serious weaknesses. It is argued that the illness behaviour/sick role model does have at least heuristic value in that it leads to asking a rather different set of questions about hysteria which should prove more amenable to experimental investigation. It also avoids the logical difficulties inherent in most of the alternative theories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012803:Sick Role