The term is of malaysian or indonesian origin, but the syndrome has been found in many parts of the world. In malaysia, latah is more common in middle-aged women. It presents as hypersensitivity to sudden fright, often with echolalia, echopraxia, command obedience, and dissociative or trancelike behavior. Other terms for this condition are amurakh, irkunii, ikota, olan, myriachit, and menkeiti (siberian groups); bah-tschi, bah-tsi, and baah-ji (thailand); imu (ainu, sakhalin, japan); and mali-mali and silok (philippines).
Latah occurs in female individuals who exhibit excessive verbal hostility on a sporadic basis. Outbursts of verbal insults, babbling, and shouting are often public in nature and sometimes require the individual to be removed from the situation and calmed. Latah is a psychiatric culture- bound syndrome found mostly in middle-aged Malaysian and Indonesian females. Clinical manifestations of latah can be echopraxia, echolalia, and other trancelike behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Adolescence is the earliest that true latah appears and its occurrence at this age is uncommon. However, there have been documented instances of latah as early as age 6.
A pattern of behavior seen only in certain cultures, such as that of Malaysia. After a psychological shock the affected individual becomes very anxious and very suggestible and shows excessive obedience and pathological imitation of the actions of another person (echopraxia).
A behavior identified in Southeast Asian women marked by imitation, swearing, repetitive speech, and obedient gestures. It may be provoked by startling, tickling, or frightening affected persons. Some researchers believe it is a social convention rather than a psychiatric or neurological illness.