The British Journal of Psychiatry 133: 228-230 (1978)
© 1978 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Matiruku, a Fijian madness: an initial assessment
J Price and I Karim
In Fijian, matiruku means literally 'low tide in the morning' and
figuratively somebody periodically insane. In this study, the conceptual
basis of matiruku was examined by means of a questionnaire completed by 24
Fijians which explored its occurrence, aetiology and precipitation,
phenomenology, management and prognosis. It was concluded that matiruku
corresponds to hypomania, which may have special features in Fiji: short
duration, frequent recurrence and an intensification of symptoms in the
morning.