title: Brain fag: New perspectives from case observations.
abstract: Brain fag was originally described as a culture-bound syndrome among West African students. The term "brain fag" literally means "brain fatigue." Available literature indicates that brain fag symptoms usually present in formal academic settings when African students are required to transit to a reliance on written literature (as opposed to more traditional oral forms of information transmission) and to adapt to westernized, individualistic systems of education that, at times, oppose the values of relatively collectivistic African societies. Based on detailed observation of two typical and two nontypical cases of brain fag, the authors suggest that the syndrome may not be solely related to tensions in the academic sphere, but may function more generally as an expression of psychological distress that results from societal pressures that exceed the coping capacity of the individual. The brain fag symptoms, including lack of concentration, sensations of internal heat in the head and body, heaviness, and multiple somatic complaints, may constitute a defensive process which helps prevent a full-fledged decompensation.
authors.affiliation: University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC) peterebigbo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Peter O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Ebigbo
authors.affiliation: International Federation for Psychotherapy (IFP) Centre.
authors.forename: Elekwachi Chimezie
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lekwas
authors.affiliation: International Federation for Psychotherapy (IFP) Centre.
authors.forename: Nweze Felix
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Chukwunenyem
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011340:Problem Solving; D012649:Self Concept; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: brain fag; coping and adaptation; cultural syndromes; defense mechanisms; idioms of distress; somatization; stressors