LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND COPING STYLE IN TREATED AND UNTREATED PATIENTS WITH SOLVENT-INDUCED CHRONIC TOXIC ENCEPHALOPATHY

Patients with organic solvent-induced toxic encephalopathy (TE) (n = 1 3) were followed up seven years after the application of an interventi on program. They were also compared with untreated TE patients diagnos ed at the same time (n = 26) and with unexposed referents (n = 39). Ps ychological distress, social function, and coping ability and style we re measured with the Symptom Checklist-90, Interview Schedule of Socia l Interaction, and Sense of Coherence and Strategies to Handle Stress questionnaires. Both TE groups had unchanged function in neuropsycholo gical tests. Members of the treated group had improved their social fu nctioning and reduced their mental stress but were not any better than the untreated patients, Compared with referents, the TE patients cont inued to live with increased psychological distress and used predomina ntly emotionally focused strategies to cope with their problems, This can be a cause for concern in family life and can also make gainful wo rk impossible.