Abstract
The belief in a noxious factor of obscure nature exerting abortive effects on first pregnancies became widespread in a small Israeli kibbutz community. In conformance with this collective belief, all of the first six pregnancies, during a period of 18 months, terminated in miscarriage. The authors analysed the available epidemiological data and the psychosocial factors that appeared to be closely associated with the abortion-producing situation. The study stresses the importance of social influences and group contagion in the creation of an anxiety-evoking collective belief that may have had a damaging effect on the course of pregnancy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 239-246 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - 1982 |
| Externally published | Yes |
