A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CLINICAL-STUDY OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ILLNESSASSOCIATED WITH MERCURY RELEASE FROM DENTAL RESTORATIONS - PSYCHIATRIC ASPECTS

The aim of this study was to map the psychological/psychiatric, odonto logical and medical aspects of patients with symptoms allegedly relate d to the side-effects of mercury in dental fillings. A total of 67 con secutive patients and 64 controls matched for age, sex and residential area were included in the study. The most striking result was the hig h prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the patients (89%) compared t o the controls (6%), predominantly somatoform disorders. The personali ty traits differentiating the patients according to the Karolinska Sca les of Personality (KSP) were somatic anxiety, muscular tension, psych asthenia and low socialization. More patients than controls showed ale xithymic traits. The prevalence of diagnosed somatic diseases was high er, but not sufficiently so to explain the large difference in perceiv ed health. The multiple symptoms and signs of distress displayed by th e patients could not be explained either by the odontological data or by the medical examination. Our data indicate that the patients show s ociodemographic and clinical patterns similar to those of somatizing p atients. The medicalization of the suffering of these patients and the neglect of psychiatric problems prevent the use of appropriate psycho therapeutic approaches.