Psychopathologic and zoological aspects of acarophobia

Acarophobia represents a nosologically inconsistent psychiatric clinical pi cture which is exceptional in that it is noticed among the clientele of tho se in charge of pest control, hygienists, health department medical officer s and dermatologists rather than in psychiatric practice or mental hospital s. Apart from acarophobia in the course of schizophrenic, affective and org anic psychoses as well as cases in which the phobia was induced by another individual, roughly half of the cases were 'pure' forms, i. e. mono-symptom atic psychoses mainly occurring at advanced age and in females. Putative pa rasitisation relates not only to the subject's skin, but also to the premis es where the person affected is living. Social isolation appears to rank hi gh among essential causes. Four cases from a pest controller's practice are reported which could not be properly treated because of the subjects' lack of insight into their condition. In this light, it was the aim of the pres ent study to focus the attention of pest controllers and hygienists on inte rdisciplinary co-operation with psychiatrists as well as with public health departments.