Attention to bodily sensations and symptom perception in individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance.

Comment:  These types of questionairres are rarely valid because the questions are nonspecific in terms of acertaining the reason behind the answer.  Do you feel anxious in public, for example, could indicate an antisocial personality or anxiety disorder if a person has no other reason to feel anxious.  But someone who has to look out for exposures, or is regularly ridiculed and teased for being in a wheel chair has a real, valid, and concrete reason to be anxious and this should not be taken as antisocial personality disorder.   It's a normal response. But questionairres assume what they are looking for... antisocial personality or anxiety disorder.  I doubt the below questionairre is any different.

Environ Health Prev Med. 2009 Dec 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Attention to bodily sensations and symptom perception in individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance.

Skovbjerg S, Zachariae R, Rasmussen A, Johansen JD, Elberling J.
The Danish Research Centre for Chemical Sensitivities, Department of Dermato-Allergology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 40, 2.th, 2820, Gentofte, Denmark, sinsko01@geh.regionh.dk.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI) is characterized by non-specific symptoms attributed to exposure to environmental odours or chemicals at levels below those known to induce adverse health effects. A clarification of whether psychological processes involved in sensory perceptions are associated with IEI would add to our understanding of this complex disorder.

 

PURPOSE: To examine if measures of somato-sensory amplification, autonomic perception and absorption are associated with IEI. METHODS: The study included individuals with self-reported or physician-diagnosed IEI. Participants (n = 732) completed questionnaires that included items on descriptive variables of IEI, the Somato-Sensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire (APQ), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) and a Negative Affectivity Scale (NAS).

 

RESULTS: Multiple, hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed significant positive associations between SSAS, APQ, and IEI, while small and inverse associations were seen between TAS and IEI.

 

CONCLUSIONS: The association with SSAS and APQ suggests that perceptual personality characteristics are important in understanding this disorder.

PMID: 19953345 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]