A recent T4 shutdown at Heathrow Airport terminal raised some eyebrows for good reason. MPI, as experts are now calling it, may have been the reason for the sudden sickness experienced by the 21 people. Dr. Robert Bartholomew, sociologist at the University of Auckland and an expert on MPI, theorized that unease about the origins played a role in the epidemic. Other important contributions include his work with King’s College London Prof. Sir Simon Wessely, who is prominent in this field.
MPI can occur in congested areas and includes symptoms like headache, dizziness, hyperventilation, and loss of consciousness. These episodes generally have an acute onset that may last minutes to hours or days. As Dr. Bartholomew made clear, these outbreaks are most likely to break out in a culture of fear and anxiety. They can subsist for weeks or months, creating an ideal environment for mass responses to form.
In the Heathrow incident, those affected had relatively innocuous symptoms that were temporary. “Common symptoms include headache, overbreathing, dizziness and fainting,” Dr. Bartholomew explained, emphasizing that these reactions are genuine and not simply psychological disturbances.
“It is not ‘all in their heads’ in the sense that they are experiencing real symptoms.” – Dr. Robert Bartholomew
Dr. Bartholomew explained that chronic stress can throw the autonomous nervous system out of whack, resulting in these reactions. He has worked to piece together similar events in the past. One particularly alarming example occurred in 2005 at Melbourne Airport when 57 people became ill in similar conditions.
In 2011, an episode at LeRoy High School in New York branched out into students exhibiting vocal and motor tics. This case illustrates the different forms that MPI can take, from motor based reactions to anxiety based reactions.
“Study after study has never found anything different about those who are affected from those who aren’t,” Prof Sir Simon Wessely stated. He wanted us to all know that anxiety is a normal experience. He illuminated the common tendency to attribute physical symptomologies into deeper manifestations, such as exposure to toxins. This misunderstanding is especially prevalent in high-stress, densely populated settings where info can leak out through rapid circulating rumors and/or visual markers.
“What happened at Heathrow is almost certainly an episode of mass psychogenic illness that is anxiety-based,” – Dr. Robert Bartholomew
The investigation into the Heathrow incident is still underway. Dr. Bartholomew emphasized the need for careful investigation before blaming such incidents on MPI. He stated, “I always say you have to investigate first before you render the diagnosis of mass psychogenic illness.”
Prof Wessely continued that MPI happens the world over every single day, particularly in dense settings like schools, concerts, and offices. He chided the press for their excessive obsession on the Heathrow plot. This was largely due to its size and the unprecedented impact it had on air travel.
“It happens all over the world every day, particularly in crowded spaces like schools, concerts, crowds, factory floors etc. The only reason this made the news was because of the fact it was at Heathrow and led to major flight disruptions.” – Prof Sir Simon Wessely
The unusual quick onset and recovery seen by some at Heathrow raises the suggestion of being related to underlying health issues, according to experts. As with all health conditions, the stress of the situation likely increased the severity of these conditions. Dr. Bartholomew gave voice to this hope. He speculated that one person transported to the hospital might have gone there out of caution and not directly due to the situation.
“I suspect the person taken to hospital may have had a pre-existing condition and it was likely done as a precaution.” – Dr. Robert Bartholomew