Scaring children with stories on spirits is among the cause of hysteria, said Kelantan mufti Mohamad Shukri Mohamad.

He said some families were fond of doing it and this resulted in the children to have that fear even when they grew up and attended school.

"Children from these families will be afraid of ghosts and spirits to an extent that they become hysterical," he told reporters in Kota Baru today.

He said this when asked on a hysteria incident which occurred at a school in Kota Baru last week.

Mohamad Shukri said hysteria often occurred in the Muslim Malay community, especially in schools.

He said the surrounding environment could also be a factor resulting in hysteria, like the El Nino phenomenon.

"The hot weather can also influence a person's psychology, especially if the person is not well, unhappy or upset," he added.

- Bernama