[Page 318]Ataque de nervios (ADN; translated as attack of nerves) is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, as a cultural syndrome that occurs among those of Latin descent. This condition has been described as a sudden onset of extreme emotional upset characterized by the experience of symptoms such as intense, acute anxiety; trembling; palpitations; crying attacks; trembling; uncontrollable shouting and screaming; and verbal and physical aggression (e.g., shouting obscenities or throwing objects). ADN is typically episodic and is provoked by disruptions in family relationships, such as an interpersonal conflict or a death.

ADN was first observed and noted as a psychological condition in the 1950s among Puerto Rican military recruits. While initially described as the Puerto Rican syndrome, there is ...