“Chotikatwa”, a new culture-bound dissociative syndrome from Northern India: a case series-based report

• Main Author: Santosh Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academy Publisher 2018-07-01
• Series: Open Journal of Psychiatry and Allied Sciences
• Subjects: Hair; Female; Stress; Traits
• Online Access: https://www.ojpas.com/get_file.php?id=32647026&vnr=871993

The author proposes a new culture-bound syndrome, proposed to be named “Chotikatwa”. The syndrome’s genesis is based on frequent occurrence of tail lock of hairs of female patients getting cut under mysterious circumstances. Such cases are being reported from different North Indian states. The description of four cases is being presented in the report. The occurrences have occurred only with females under settings of stress and comorbid cluster B traits are not uncommon. The aetiology of the phenomenon is unknown and various theories, including act of evil, organised gang, and insects cutting hairs, etc. are being discussed in electronic, print, and social media. The phenomenon has not been discussed in academic literature yet as per the knowledge of the author. The report goes into the details of four cases- their investigation, treatment, and details of the phenomenology. A discussion regarding the possible psychological underpinnings has followed in the report.