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Original ArticleOpen Access
Risk Factors for Spirit Possession Among School Girls in Southern Thailand
Trangkasombat U 
,
Suumpan U ,
Churujipom V ,
Nukhew O ,
Haruhanpong V
,
Suumpan U ,
Churujipom V ,
Nukhew O ,
Haruhanpong V In September 1993, at a school in the south of Thailand, an outbreak of spirit possession
suddenly afflicted 32 girls aged 9-14 years. A case-control study was done to investigate factors
that predispose a child to spirit possession. Psychiatric evaluation was done on 32 cases and 34
matched controls. Parents were interviewed regarding the child's psychosocial history. Results
of the study were as follows. Children with spirit possession were first-born and came from small
families with 1-3 children. Compared with the controls their family life was characterized by
more psychosocial stressors and there were significantly higher rates of psychiatric disorders.
anxious and fearful character traits, histrionic character traits and history of recurrent trance
states. The history of traumatic experiences and exposure to spirit possession ceremonies were more
frequent in spirit-possessed children than in the control group but the difference was not significant.
This study showed that being first-born from a small family, individual vulnerability
especially psychiatric disorders, problematic character traits and dissociative tendency were
significant risk factors in the development of possession states in children.
suddenly afflicted 32 girls aged 9-14 years. A case-control study was done to investigate factors
that predispose a child to spirit possession. Psychiatric evaluation was done on 32 cases and 34
matched controls. Parents were interviewed regarding the child's psychosocial history. Results
of the study were as follows. Children with spirit possession were first-born and came from small
families with 1-3 children. Compared with the controls their family life was characterized by
more psychosocial stressors and there were significantly higher rates of psychiatric disorders.
anxious and fearful character traits, histrionic character traits and history of recurrent trance
states. The history of traumatic experiences and exposure to spirit possession ceremonies were more
frequent in spirit-possessed children than in the control group but the difference was not significant.
This study showed that being first-born from a small family, individual vulnerability
especially psychiatric disorders, problematic character traits and dissociative tendency were
significant risk factors in the development of possession states in children.
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