Mariah Carey's recent "emotional and physical breakdown" was a direct result of chronic pubic stubble burn or CPSB, her spokewoman confirmed yesterday.

The 32-year old singer had been treated at Connecticut's Silver Hill Hospital before being released into the care of her mother, Patricia Carey. Last week, the singer-turned-actress was admitted to the tony facility after a frantic call to 911 from Patricia pleading for help for her distraught daughter. The elder Carey told police that she could "no longer control" her daughter after she began throwing plates and glasses onto the floor of her room at Manhattan's Hudson Hotel. Carey was driven by ambulance to Silver Hill Hospital where she spent five days being treated after it was determined she was in need of both medical and psychiatric treatment for CPSB.

"My client is coming to terms with a severe condition," read a statement issued by Cindy Berger, Carey's spokeswoman. "Mariah has dealt with chronic pubic stubble burn since the summer she turned 15, but only now has it affected her professionally." The statement was made, in part, to address Carey's refusal to conduct press interviews in conjunction with her upcoming film, "Glitter", and its accompanying soundtrack.

The condition? characterized by clusters of raised, red bumps around the bikini area after shaving -- affects 1 in every 8 women in this country. Carey's CPSB became exacerbated by intense pressure on her to wear a bikini during shooting of a pivotal scene in "Glitter". "She got angry when the director and I decided not to go with a soft-focus lens during a bikini scene," says the movie's director of photography, Alejandro Bartez. "It was only after we realized she had chronic pubic stubble burn that we understood what all her fussing was about." The scene - eventually edited out of the film - was only one point of contention with the vocalist known for her five-octave range and, at times, demanding persona. "The label (Atlantic) wanted to put her in something high-cut for the cover [of "Glitter"], says a record-industry source, referring to the movie's accompanying soundtrack, which Carey also wrote and co-produced, "but she had a really bad flare-up the day before the shoot. It looked like somebody dropped a box of Red-Hots in her lap. It was bad down there."

For now, the only known cure for CPSB is laser removal or hair extraction lotions. "I would advise the use of Nair for Miss Carey's pube removal," said Dr. Mohammed Khan, chief dermatologist at New York's Presbyterian Hospital. "But if her bush is a dense, black jungle of knotted overgrowth, she may need to seek professional help. After all, this can be a very sensitive matter."

Both the movie and soundtrack for "Glitter" have been postponed and will be released September 21.