Journal of Psychiatry

Abstract

Save His Honor at All Costs Crises of Hysteria in a Young Man in Senegal West Africa

Koundoul A, Kane Y

In African societies in general and particularly in the Wolof culture in Senegal, honor occupies a privileged place. For
the protection of dignity, it sometimes happens that the fundamental principles of justice, culture and religion are
relegated to the background by individuals.
The interest of such a reflection lies in the need to contextualize the appearance of conversion disorder also called
"disorder with functional neurological symptomatology" according to DSM-5 [1] in a young prisoner of 25 years. The
objective of this reflection is to highlight the cultural component in the triggering of the disorders and to draw the
attention of doctors towards a somatization of the patients which could be at the origin of a chronicisation of the
troubles.
Here we report the observation of Salif who is received and hospitalized at the Emile BADIANE Psychiatric Center
in Ziguinchor (region of southern Senegal) for agitation attacks with auto and hetero-aggression accompanied by
vomiting and visions of a man who threatens him with a knife. During his crises, Salif attacks his fellow prisoners or
bangs his head violently against the wall. His seizures appeared following a correction received from a fellow prisoner
in front of everyone.
The repetition of the crises in spite of a treatment in the department of neurology of the Regional Hospital Center of
Ziguinchor where the diagnosis of epilepsy retained and the normal electroencephalogram motivated are transferred
in service of psychiatry.