Amok syndrome

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Amok syndrome is an aggressive dissociative behavioral pattern derived from the Malay world which led to the English phrase running amok. The word derives from the Malay word amuk, traditionally meaning "rushing in a frenzy" or "attacking furiously". Amok syndrome presents as an episode of sudden mass assault against people or objects following a period of brooding. It has traditionally been regarded as specifically occurring in Malay culture, but is now increasingly viewed as more general psychopathological behavior. The syndrome of "Amok" is found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR). In the DSM-V, Amok syndrome is no longer considered a culture-bound syndrome, since the category of culture-bound syndrome has been removed.

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