Multiple Chemical Sensitivities "Sufferers" More Likely To Be Psychotic,Delusional

J Occup Environ Med. 2006 Jan;48(1):76-82.
New aspects of psychiatric morbidity in idiopathic
environmental intolerances.
Hausteiner C, Mergeay A, Bornschein S, Zilker T,
Forstl H.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,
Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.

OBJECTIVE: To understand idiopathic environmental
intolerances (IEI)-formerly multiple chemical
sensitivities (MCS)-it is helpful to outline its
characteristic psychiatric morbidity.

METHOD: We applied a standardized interview
according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (SCID) to 305
environmental patients with and without IEI.

RESULTS: Somatoform, affective and anxiety
disorders were the most frequent diagnoses but
only slightly differed between patients with or
without IEI. In both groups, current
substance-related disorders were rare. We found
a clearly higher prevalence of psychotic,
especially current delusional disorders, in IEI.

CONCLUSION: Somatization, depression, and anxiety
are frequent in IEI but nonspecific. Psychotic
disorders are more common in IEI than in other
types of environmental illness. It appears
worthwhile to study personality and cognitive
style to explain the pivotal features of IEI.