A culture-specific syndrome characterized by screaming uncontrollably, crying, trembling, and verbal or physical aggression. Dissociative experiences, seizure-like or fainting episodes, and suicidal gestures are also prominent in some ataques. It is principally reported among latinos from the caribbean but is also recognized among many latin american and latin mediterranean groups.
Ataque de nervios is a culture-bound idiom of mental distress principally reported among Latinos from the Caribbean but recognized among many Latin American and Latin Mediterranean groups (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994). Ataque de nervios has a very broad range of diagnosis and is apparently neither age nor gender specific.