THE SICK BUILDING SYNDROME AS A PSYCHOLOG ICAL PROBLEM

The outset of presentation is a comparative view of epidemiological st udies concerning physico-chemical and psychological conditions involve d in the generation of sick building syndrome (SBS). The incomplete ha ndling of psychological problems are pointed out in these studies. In the first study of 14 SBS-affected and 14 controls, a complaint patter n with a standardized questionnaire is shown for SBS which decreases w ith the changes in the room conditions. In a second study of 10 report s on SBS cases it becomes apparent that coping with the situation and the effects (problem-oriented vs, emotion-oriented) contribute substan tially 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 li mited. The type and intensity of sick building symptoms depend essenti ally on psychological coping with the arousing problems.