Occurrence of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms at Low Levels of Occupational Exposure to Organic Solvents and Relationships to Health, Lifestyle, and Stress

Abstract

The objective of this study was to elucidate the effects of alcohol consumption, medical disorders, stressful life events, and solvent exposure on neuropsychiatric symptoms in a population with low levels of occupational exposure to organic solvents. The prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms was assessed by Questionnaire 16 (Q16) in 54 miners under notice of dismissal and 124 men in an age-matched random sample from the local population. When the Q16 results were dichotomized at six symptoms (of the 16 possible), regular use of medicine was significantly related to the Q16 score, with an adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) of 4.0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2–13. There were also positive relationships to the number of years in work with exposure to organic solvents (adjOR 2.2 per 10 years, 95% CI 1.3–3.8), liters of pure alcohol consumed per month (adjOR 2.8,95% CI 0.78–10), and unemployment (adjOR2.4, 95% CI 0.80–7.2). The influences on neuropsychiatric symptoms of various common exposures other than occupational solvent exposure must be considered when questionnaires are used for screening or for studies of possible neurotoxic effects in solvent-exposed workers.

Keywords:

• neuropsychiatric symptoms
• Q16
• organic solvents
• alcohol
• social stress
• unemployment
• chronic disease