The sick building syndrome as a psychological problem

The outset of presentation is a comparative view of epidemiological studies concerning physico-chemical and psychological conditions involved in the generation of sick building syndrome (SBS). The incomplete handling of psychological problems are pointed out in these studies. In the first study of 14 SBS-affected and 14 controls, a complaint pattern with a standardized questionnaire is shown for SBS which decreases with the changes in the room conditions. In a second study of 10 reports on SBS cases it becomes apparent that coping with the situation and the effects (problem-oriented vs, emotion-oriented) contribute substantially to clarify the complaint patterns. Finally, a comparative study of several samples with different causations of complaints shows that the possibility to describe SBS as a specific complaint pattern is limited. The type and intensity of sick building symptoms depend essentially on psychological coping with the arousing problems.